A Carribbean Mystery isn't classed by many Christie fans as one of her greatest novels, I on the other hand love it, and can virtually say it word for word. The problem I have with this adaptation is that the central character in the book is not Helen Hayes, as much as I truly love her as an actress, a great Miss Marple she did not make, her accent is the problem, she's referencing At Mary Mead, but they must have moved it....to the deep south, she is not saved by that attempted phrase 'I dropped me yarn.' The way the camera scans around the suspects after the major's speech is shocking, a very unnatural looking scene. The pacing isn't great, it starts off as a slow amble and rushes into the ending.
In fairness the plot is quite faithful, so I applaud them for not tinkering with it hugely. The scenery works pretty well, the music is really nice and there are some nice performances, Maurice Evans is excellent as the Major, he makes him likable. Season Hubley is the standout as Molly, she delivered a particularly strong performance, making some of her fellow actors appear a little bland. Bernard Hughes is a little to brash, he would have been first on the list for most killers.
Its not a bad film overall, the problem is, this is supposed to be a quaint village lady arriving in the Carribbean, I don't buy it here. Do yourself a favour, watch the Joan Hickson version, it is superior in every possible way. 6/10
In fairness the plot is quite faithful, so I applaud them for not tinkering with it hugely. The scenery works pretty well, the music is really nice and there are some nice performances, Maurice Evans is excellent as the Major, he makes him likable. Season Hubley is the standout as Molly, she delivered a particularly strong performance, making some of her fellow actors appear a little bland. Bernard Hughes is a little to brash, he would have been first on the list for most killers.
Its not a bad film overall, the problem is, this is supposed to be a quaint village lady arriving in the Carribbean, I don't buy it here. Do yourself a favour, watch the Joan Hickson version, it is superior in every possible way. 6/10