'At Bertram's Hotel' is more of a character study than a whodunit's. The audience is more concerned with background stories and motivations and this leads one to wonder who will do what, to whom, and why? Some view the book and this adaptation as one of Agatha Christie's lesser efforts. I agree the film is rather muted but I find the novel fascinating. The book was published, and set, in the mid-1960's and included references to The Beatles and counter culture. The film stays firmly in the never-never 1950's of the other BBC Marples (there is mention of the 'ghastly' new commercial ITV which began broadcasting in 1955) which I think is a mistake.
We see Joan Hickson tut-tutting over new London architecture but there is little real sense of change, of a new world emerging in which a place like Bertram's has no real part. It is central to the plot that Bertram's *hasn't* changed, because it should have. More forcefully, Bertram's 'old fashioned' values cover something rotten and corrupt which should be swept away.
This is a good piece of television with excellent performances and production values, but it could have been much sharper. Maybe Agatha Christie wasn't a great 'message' novelist, but I feel there is a point to Bertram's that could have been displayed more positively here.
We see Joan Hickson tut-tutting over new London architecture but there is little real sense of change, of a new world emerging in which a place like Bertram's has no real part. It is central to the plot that Bertram's *hasn't* changed, because it should have. More forcefully, Bertram's 'old fashioned' values cover something rotten and corrupt which should be swept away.
This is a good piece of television with excellent performances and production values, but it could have been much sharper. Maybe Agatha Christie wasn't a great 'message' novelist, but I feel there is a point to Bertram's that could have been displayed more positively here.