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Murder is Easy on TV

Dolly_B 02 Feb 09 at 4:56 p.m. GMT

Saw Julia MacKenzie for my first time portraying Miss Marple.  She is the best since Joan Hickson.  She's plays her very low key, unlike the last Miss Marple with that constant simpering smile on her face. I'm looking forward to seeing her do more Miss Marples.  She has a lovely face with that wide-eyed - surprise or curious - expression.  My only question is why was the small screen adaptation changed so much from the Christie story?  I would really like to understand the reasoning behind changing her stories.

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Carlyle 21 Jun 09 at 10:31 p.m. GMT

I saw "Murder is easy" last week... Julia McKenzie is good as miss Marple, the second best in my opinion after Joan Hickson of course. But the movie... oh dear... Actually, I´m not a puritan when it comes to dramatising books, but I do have some demands - at least I expect the storyline to be... at least recognisible from the book. But in "Murder is easy"... The beginning with miss Pinkerton was good, faithful. After that... nothing remains. Most of the murders have been altered and the motive for the murderer... well, I don´t know why its called Christie because the story is certainly not hers at all.

go_leafs_nation 21 May 09 at 4:33 p.m. GMT

To be honest, the performances in Murder is Easy are almost all forgettable. The one exception is Julia Mackenzie, who makes a very nice Miss Marple.

TheMole 21 May 09 at 4:22 p.m. GMT

I read your MIE review, go_leafs_ntion. Was Benedict Cumberatch's performance forgettable to you?

Tommy_A_Jones 20 May 09 at 1:43 p.m. GMT

Oh Right, That will be the problem, I was expecting to see go_leafs

go_leafs_nation 19 May 09 at 6:39 p.m. GMT

Yes, on IMDb, I go by the name tml_pohlak_13.

Tommy_A_Jones 19 May 09 at 11:24 a.m. GMT

Have you used a different username go_leafs, I can only find one review and that's from someone else and I can't see where it says "Author"

S_Sigerson 18 May 09 at 4:58 p.m. GMT

It might be fun to watch  Miss. Marple or Poirot that has been dubbed. 

go_leafs_nation 18 May 09 at 2 p.m. GMT

You could simply click on the username right next to "Author".

Here are the direct links to my reviews though:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189440/usercomments (A Pocket Full of Rye)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1251825/usercomments-2 (Murder is Easy)

I've reviewed a plethora of other AC films, so if you click on my username, you'll be able to read them.

Tommy_A_Jones 18 May 09 at 1:40 p.m. GMT

I think it is a shame they did 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans as it is a terrific Book and making it part of the 'Marple' series is a travesty, go_leafs I tried to read your review but couldn't work out wear to type in your name - please tell me where, Anyway, I look forward with anticipation to see JMs MM as I think she would be perfect for the role

go_leafs_nation 17 May 09 at 2:35 p.m. GMT

Of the four new Marples, I've only seen "A Pocket Full of Rye" and "Murder is Easy". I reviewed the two on IMDb. If anyone would like to read them, my review of APFOR is the only review on the page so far. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189440/usercomments)

(By clicking on my username, you will be able to access all my reviews.)

As for Mackenzie, I love her Miss Marple. I can easily imagine her as the old lady from the books, far better than McEwan ever mustered (and I liked her portrayal, too). She brings this... atmosphere to Miss Marple rather like Joan Hickson did.

shanty_sleuth 16 May 09 at 2:08 a.m. GMT

I'm not sure. I assume subtitles, but then again I could be wrong.

S_Sigerson 15 May 09 at 9:38 p.m. GMT

Really. How interesting. When aired in Hungary and Norway were they dubbed or subtitles?

shanty_sleuth 15 May 09 at 6:52 p.m. GMT

S_Sigerson

To my knowledge Murder Is Easy has not been shown anywhere in the world nor has it been released on DVD. A while ago A Pocket Full of Rye with Julia McKenzie was shown at the BFI in London. However, we are still waiting for the four new Marples with Julia McKenzie including Murder Is Easy and A Pocket Full of Rye to be shown on television. 

Just wanted to say that Murder Is Easy has indeed been aired in different parts of the world (along with A Pocket Full of Rye). Ireland was the first, I believe, way back in November. That can be found on YouTube if you wish to look. Canada aired it next this past February, and Hungary followed in March. Norway aired it very recently - in fact, ALL of the episodes have already been aired there. The United States will air all of the episodes this coming July.

According to what I know, A Pocket Full of Rye is the most faithful of the bunch, with They Do It with Mirrors coming a close second (some minor changes and additions, but the core of the novel remains the same). Murder is Easy is practically a rewrite, and so is Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Evans, however, might receive a colder reception. It's very different to the novel, and the majority of the characters have been changed in some way or form.

S_Sigerson 15 May 09 at 5:03 p.m. GMT

I believe in Curtain(not 100% sure - perhaps someone who has read the book can confirm)Poirot wears a toupee (you can deduce from that he had hair in the early stories) and I believe he also dyes his mustaches by this time. If memory serves on the cover of one of the books from the 20's, 30's or 40's there is likeness of Poirot with dark hair and parted down the middle. Albert Finney probably comes closes to that image.

The British Film Institute. 

Tommy_A_Jones 15 May 09 at 2:59 p.m. GMT

I always assumed Poirot was really bald on the top with hair just round the edge at the back btw S Sigerson what is BFI? I live in Gloucestershire and I haven't seen 'Murder is Easy'

TheMole 14 May 09 at 11:18 p.m. GMT

I think Joseph Mawle would be a very good choice for Luke: he looks like the way AC described him, & what's more I think his personality (much like Suchet's) matches the character better.

To S Sigerson: I was watching Death in the Clouds a couple of days ago and I wondered for the first time if Poirot had hair on the top of his head or was it somewhat bald on the top like Suchet's!? I can't remember reading it in her books what his hair do was like....Do you by any chance know which book it was mentioned in? I am NOT doubting you, I am just interested to see if I missed it somehow. :0)

S_Sigerson 14 May 09 at 3:33 p.m. GMT

To my knowledge Murder Is Easy has not been shown anywhere in the world nor has it been released on DVD. A while ago A Pocket Full of Rye with Julia McKenzie was shown at the BFI in London. However, we are still waiting for the four new Marples with Julia McKenzie including Murder Is Easy and A Pocket Full of Rye to be shown on television.     

Benedict Cumbermatch's hair color doesn't really matter. In the books Poirot has a full head of hair; whereas, David Suchet does not have a full head of hair. And most people view David Suchet as the definitive Poirot. Hair (or lack of) doesn't seem to have effected people's positive opinion of Suchet's performance.  

Tommy_A_Jones 14 May 09 at 2:24 p.m. GMT

Mole that makes alot of sense, Britain hasn't seen it yet but I have seen a picture of what JM looks like as MM and I think she is 'Different but not badly Different, Thye tweed is back so she looks more like Joan Hickson which I think is good but different enough to make her different from anyone else who has played her, MR played her in a very Characatured sdought of way like Ustinov's Poirot, both performances are superb if you want to relax and just watch something enjoyable but not if you are expecting true portrayals, I personally think GM didn't give any of this but I would have liked to see her plkay other Christie Characters, like The Bradbury-Scott Widow (Sorry can't remember her name) as for Benedict Cumberbatch playing Fitzwilliam, In the book it describes him as having fair hair so perhaps Jude Law or Laurence Fox would have been better.

TheMole 13 May 09 at 3:43 p.m. GMT

I have seen some promotional pictures for 'Murder is Easy' & I have to say I am not happy w/ Benedict Cumberbatch as Luke.

As for MM (as we used to call her) I think Julia McKenzie does look like her but just another version of her (if that makes sense); like Margaret Rutherford looks like another version of MM. However, JM looks much more like MM than MR did.

Tommy_A_Jones 03 Feb 09 at 4:30 p.m. GMT

We in Britain haven't seen Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple yet but I have seen pictures on the net of what she looks like and I think she looks wonderful, a bit more like Jian Hickson (I loved the BBC series) so I am very hopeful, I agree every Generation has their own Miss Marple - I wish every Generation had their own Bundle Brent and Tommy and Tuppence, I love Cheryl Campbell, James Warwick and Francessca Annis in the roles but you can never have too much of those books, same goes for 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans'

Vjenssen 02 Feb 09 at 10:26 p.m. GMT

As I said somewhere else on this site, I find McKenzie's Marple to be stiff, as if she were on drugs. 

It would help if they got her a better hat, higher on her brow. Just look at her and you'll see that they are doing McKenzie no favours.

Perhaps she is trying to counteract some criticisms against Mcewan's Marple which I found quite good.  McEwan's was always intelligent, keen and sympatheitic whereas McKenzie's is wooden, nosy and unsympathetic.

In Murder is easy, Marple is so graceless one wonders why the whole village didn't rush to drive her to the next train/bus out of the nearest town.

Whereas, mcEwan's Marple was very clever at insinuating herself into situations where, really , she had no business.

Oh well, I guess every generation gets its Marple.  McEwan was mine.