'And Then Were None' is one of my favourite, and one of my first, Agatha Christie books, as well as one of my favourites of all time. The plot is simply ingenious, as well as a contender for Christie's darkest, as is the final solution (left me completely floored on first reading, though it is very difficult to pull off adaptation-wise), there is a suspenseful and ominous atmosphere evoked and the characters are interesting.
This 2015 adaptation of 'And Then There Were None' (when aired it turned out to be a huge improvement over the disappointing previous Agatha Christie adaptation 'Partners in Crime') for me is the third best behind the 1987 Russian (the most faithful) and the 1945 Rene Clair (which had a particularly great cast) versions. Of all the versions, the only one that didn't do anything for me was the 1989 film.
Loved the first episode. Found the second and especially third episodes even better, mainly because the suspense and dread increases and the story and characterisation are richer. Some may find the violence and swearing is gratuitous, not me, while the swearing is somewhat anachronistic for Christie it does fit the characters' increasingly fragile states of mind and doesn't feel that out of place within the increasingly dire situation. Aiden Turner's much talked about sex appeal wasn't that much of a distraction either.
Found neither the ending rushed or drawn out, it leaves one floored and is quite chilling in the character interaction and the whole atmosphere. Helped by that the murderer has never been more calm or cold in any other adaptation of this story and that Vera is at her most reprehensible (from memory it is the only adaptation to show that), both as they ought to have been. Kudos to the writers for, while not being completely faithful, having a more faithful ending (which would have been difficult as the book's ending works brilliantly as a literary device but poses problems cinematically, to me a voice over monologue with flashbacks recounting would work but can imagine the overlong and too wordy complaints it might have got) than the alternate ending that half the adaptations of the book adopted.
Similarly appreciated the deeper characterisation. The bacchanal/drunk scene was a controversial one and some may find it out of place, for me it was psychologically interesting in seeing the characters acting and knowing it would not be long before they were next.
Visually, the episode looks fantastic, with stylish filming and locations and lighting that looked both beautiful and effectively claustrophobic, with the house quite rightly like a character in itself. The music is suitably ominous without being overbearing, and the script has plenty of entertaining and nail-biting parts as well as intelligently written. There is a real sinister tone, frightening suspense and claustrophobic dread that is maintained throughout the adaptation and here increased to fever pitch. As well as being a mystery it was a psychological character study too, something that not every adaptation did. A strong example being the haunting of Cyril. The direction is handled beautifully and deftly.
Can find nothing to fault the cast. It is particularly true with Charles Dance, who has a cold but understated authority, Aiden Turner, who has more than just sex appeal having also broodiness, Toby Stephens' indignant and commanding Armstrong (any overdone scenes fitted with the horrors of the situation) and Burn Gorman, who had a menacing but also nervous intensity.
Maeve Dermody is also deserving of credit for bringing some vulnerability to Vera but also steel, and it was great to see Vera show her true colours at the end which we didn't get to see enough of in other adaptations that adopted the alternate ending.
Criticisms are very few, but the romantic chemistry between Vera and Lombard didn't really fit as well with everything else, though it does smoulder, and the change of murder method for one of the characters (won't spoil it) didn't make much sense and was disoriented in editing.
Overall, great end to one of the best adaptations of one of Christie's masterpieces. 9/10 Bethany Cox
This 2015 adaptation of 'And Then There Were None' (when aired it turned out to be a huge improvement over the disappointing previous Agatha Christie adaptation 'Partners in Crime') for me is the third best behind the 1987 Russian (the most faithful) and the 1945 Rene Clair (which had a particularly great cast) versions. Of all the versions, the only one that didn't do anything for me was the 1989 film.
Loved the first episode. Found the second and especially third episodes even better, mainly because the suspense and dread increases and the story and characterisation are richer. Some may find the violence and swearing is gratuitous, not me, while the swearing is somewhat anachronistic for Christie it does fit the characters' increasingly fragile states of mind and doesn't feel that out of place within the increasingly dire situation. Aiden Turner's much talked about sex appeal wasn't that much of a distraction either.
Found neither the ending rushed or drawn out, it leaves one floored and is quite chilling in the character interaction and the whole atmosphere. Helped by that the murderer has never been more calm or cold in any other adaptation of this story and that Vera is at her most reprehensible (from memory it is the only adaptation to show that), both as they ought to have been. Kudos to the writers for, while not being completely faithful, having a more faithful ending (which would have been difficult as the book's ending works brilliantly as a literary device but poses problems cinematically, to me a voice over monologue with flashbacks recounting would work but can imagine the overlong and too wordy complaints it might have got) than the alternate ending that half the adaptations of the book adopted.
Similarly appreciated the deeper characterisation. The bacchanal/drunk scene was a controversial one and some may find it out of place, for me it was psychologically interesting in seeing the characters acting and knowing it would not be long before they were next.
Visually, the episode looks fantastic, with stylish filming and locations and lighting that looked both beautiful and effectively claustrophobic, with the house quite rightly like a character in itself. The music is suitably ominous without being overbearing, and the script has plenty of entertaining and nail-biting parts as well as intelligently written. There is a real sinister tone, frightening suspense and claustrophobic dread that is maintained throughout the adaptation and here increased to fever pitch. As well as being a mystery it was a psychological character study too, something that not every adaptation did. A strong example being the haunting of Cyril. The direction is handled beautifully and deftly.
Can find nothing to fault the cast. It is particularly true with Charles Dance, who has a cold but understated authority, Aiden Turner, who has more than just sex appeal having also broodiness, Toby Stephens' indignant and commanding Armstrong (any overdone scenes fitted with the horrors of the situation) and Burn Gorman, who had a menacing but also nervous intensity.
Maeve Dermody is also deserving of credit for bringing some vulnerability to Vera but also steel, and it was great to see Vera show her true colours at the end which we didn't get to see enough of in other adaptations that adopted the alternate ending.
Criticisms are very few, but the romantic chemistry between Vera and Lombard didn't really fit as well with everything else, though it does smoulder, and the change of murder method for one of the characters (won't spoil it) didn't make much sense and was disoriented in editing.
Overall, great end to one of the best adaptations of one of Christie's masterpieces. 9/10 Bethany Cox
