The residents of Gossington Hall wake one morning to find the body of a young woman in their library. Who is she? How'd she get there? Who strangled her? It's a mystery. While the police begin their official investigation, Miss Marple is called in to provide her unique look at things.For 15+ year, I have avoided these Marple stories because I had read mostly bad things about them. I haven't seen the Joan Hickson version of The Body in the Library in what seems like a hundred years and I haven't read Agatha Christie's book in what seems like a million years. But I remember enough to know that this version of the story strays considerably from both. Does it bother me? Not as much as I thought it would. Even the twist at the end that would have never made it in Christie's work is okay with me. I'm not doing cart wheels of joy over the changes to the story, but they don't bother me that much. Geraldine McEwan's take on Miss Marple is different, but not unenjoyable. The sets, costuming, and locations are as good as you'll find in a television production. It's really quite beautiful to look at. And I can even forgive a few of the gigantic plot holes because I was having such a good time with the rest of the movie. I suppose my biggest complaint is with some of the acting. As much as I enjoy Simon Callow and Joanna Lumley, their constant overacting gets tiresome. Still, it's a decent enough cast with Mary Stockley being the standout.
If you don't go into this with preconceived notions, you might just find The Body in the Library enjoyable. I'll give it a solid 6/10.
6/10
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.