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"Hallowe'en party" review!!!

(Contains spoilers!)

Carlyle 26 May 10 at 10:24 p.m. GMT

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“Hallowe'en party” aired here in Sweden about an hour and a half ago! Here is my review.

Major spoilers!!!!! Major spoilers!!!! Major spoilers!!!!! Major spoilers!!!!

Hercule Poirot in a gothic ghost story - I love it!

First of all, I have to confess: I have not read the book. But i suspect there are quite a few changes in the movie. Perhaps some of you have seen the beginning in the trailer, so you all know that the girl Joyce (who is boasting about "having seen a murder" on the party) is found murdered and mrs Oliver asks Poirot to come to the village, Woodleigh common, to find the murderer.

On the train Poirot meets mr Garfield (Julian Rhind-Tutt) and later on, when he arrives to the village, he meets mrs Butler (Amelia Bullmore) and her daughter Miranda (Mary Higgins). Poirot considers Joyce words about a murder and visits mrs Goodbody ( wonderful Paola Dionisotti) and she tells him about three suspicious deaths in the past, one clearly a murder and the other two... well, who knows?

I have to say, I simply loved this adaptation. I suspect many of you will not, if it is as I belive that many things have been altered. I presume some persons here will have words to say about one of the smaller stories in the movie, the one about miss Whittaker (Fenella Woolgar) and her feelings (more than friendship) for the late miss White (one of the three suspicius deaths), but I liked the subject being treated with such subtlety and true emotions. Miss Whittaker was very well played.

The Drake-family (with a brilliant Deborah Findlay as Rowenda Drake) was wonderfully dysfunctional, and that added to the sinister  atmosphere. One thing I loved about this adaptation, that I didn´t like in for example "Three act tragedy" was that each and every character had their moments. None of them passed unnoticed. For example Phyllida Law had very few scenes but the ones she had stayed with me. I also loved Eric Idle in his small part.

The atmosphere in the movie was very gloomy and the gothical elements were many (the churchyard-gate, the gloomy garden of Rowena Drake, the moon, the shots in the wood and of course all the pumpkins). In my opinion this movie were a bit theatrical in its appearance, but very dark and sometimes quite creepy - and I loved it. It felt like Poirot, but a bit more with a sort of twist to it! It actually reminded me of the adaptation of "Mrs McGinty's dead" with the photo and the feeling of sinister tension in the small village among all the somewhat quirky characters.

And now…about the murderer... or should I say the murderers? I wont give it away of course, but I suspect the murders in the book are fewer in number than in this movie for indeed - as Poirot says - there is "butchery" in this one. But some of the murders doesn´t take place in the “now” but in the past.

I can go on for ever, but I will stop here for the moment - but not without mentioning mrs Oliver. Zoe Wannamaker, in my opinion, IS mrs Oliver. Although I felt she was a bit underused in this one (as I felt in "Mrs McGinty's dead") she makes the most of her character and the scenes with her are simply brilliant.

This one, for me, is a gem. But I do suspect some of you will have quite the opposite opinion and, as I said, I have not read the book.

Next week I will return with my review of “Murder on the Orient express”

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11 replies

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AndThenThereWasTim 22 Jun 10 at 5:11 a.m. GMT

If the UK does not have it yet, I dont know when the US will have it. My local network, KCET, only mentions MOTOE, Third Girl, and Appointment with Death. KCET didnt even show the encores of Pocket Full of Rye and Murder is Easy. They decided they would show a show on Pavorati twice every Sunday for two weeks. I would love to see Halloween Party which is one of my favorite books. Its so haunting. It literally creeped me out for months. Its a shame they probably wont be showing till next year. PBS only shows 6 Agathas a year and then they dont show anymore till next year. If anyone hears about the American Release please PLEASE let me know.

Carlyle 31 May 10 at 5:53 p.m. GMT

I have been in contact with tv4 and they wrote that they can´t send the fourth episode (Murder on the Orient express) yet since they have no license for it, but they are working on it and will air it as soon as possible.

Carlyle 31 May 10 at 8:42 a.m. GMT

I´m afraid my review on "Murder on the Orient express" won´t come this wednesday, as it seems. For some reason tv 4 here in Sweden wont be showing it this wednesday (as they have announced on their website). I don´t know why but I have mailed them to inquire.

MissQuin 28 May 10 at 3:10 p.m. GMT

"Hercule Poirot in a gothic ghost story - I love it!"

It sounds great!  If only we could see it here in the UK. I think all UK residents may have to bombard ITV with emails, that we want new Poirot epsiodes.

Carlyle 28 May 10 at 10:54 a.m. GMT

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Just have to mention: I have read some other reviews on this one (made by people who have read the book) and it actually seems the adaptation is very faithfull indeed. I thought there was only one murderer in the book, but it seems there were two of them - as it is in the movie. Also the number of victims seems to be the same.

Carlyle 27 May 10 at 8:07 p.m. GMT

Oh, I see :) Well then, perhaps that storyline won´t be the number-one-issue for those who don´t approve of the adaptation. It didn´t take up much time in the movie, but it was one of those small stories that lifted the characters, in this case miss Whittaker. I have to stress, once again, the atmosphere in the movie and the wonderful photo. I loved it!!

GKCfan 27 May 10 at 7:20 p.m. GMT

Believe it or not, Miss Whittaker and her potential feelings for a murder victim are actually more or less in the book, though not quite as they are in the film (I haven't seen it yet).  A murder victim is suspected of being a lesbian (it's the one time the word "lesbian" appears in one of Christie's books).  The sub-sub-subplot only lasts for a few pages, but for once such a storyline isn't a total invention of the screenwriters!

Carlyle 27 May 10 at 8:26 a.m. GMT

Well... that seems to be about it, I think. All of them did a wonderful job, especially Fenella Woolgar, Deborah Findlay, Eric Sykes and Paola Dionisotti.

shanty_sleuth 26 May 10 at 11:27 p.m. GMT

 Ah, alright.

Is this the complete cast list? Or are there some actors unaccounted for?

Amelia Bullmore (as Judith Butler)Deborah Findlay (as Rowena Drake)Georgia King (as Frances Drake)Julian Rhind-Tutt (as Michael Garfield)Sophie Thompson (as Mrs Reynolds)Paul Thornley (as Inspector Raglan)Eric Sykes (as Mr Fullerton)Fenella Woolgar (as Elizabeth Whittaker)Timothy West (as Reverend Cottrell)Macy Nyman (as Joyce Reynolds)Ian Hallard (as Edmund Drake)Paola Dionisotti (as Mrs Goodbody)Phyllida Law (as Mrs Llewellyn-Smythe)Mary Higgins (as Miranda Butler)Vera Filatova (as Olga Seminoff)Richard Breislin (as Leopold Reynolds)

Carlyle 26 May 10 at 11:20 p.m. GMT

Oh, you are absolutely right Shanty, Eric Sykes is the one! Where in God´s name did I get Eric Idle from??? No, Eric Sykes - and I enjoyed him very much as mr Fullerton.

shanty_sleuth 26 May 10 at 11:12 p.m. GMT

Ah! Thank you Carlyle! I cannot wait to see this one! :) I have a feeling I'll also love it.

You mentioned Eric Idle - what role does he play? Unless you meant Eric Sykes, who plays Mr Fullerton the solicitor.

I'm looking forward to your review of MOTOE next week. I hope they did that adaptation justice.