Dress up party for luvee friend actors.....

Rating: 5/10 (20 September 2018)

This on the surface of it should be an interesting adaption. Showings of old Agatha Christie movies is a staple diet of the Xmas tv schedules with old favourites like Peter Ustinov burned into the mind for all.
Story is as it says in the title, as our legendary sleuth tries to decipher an impossible murder of a despicable character.
With a stellar cast, modern filming techniques and a decent budget, surely Kenneth Branagh can't go wrong? Yes & No.
The problem is that it seems that this is all a jamboree for friends to get together and have a dress party, which in part is the truth. For most there was little effort needed to play their parts, although for some of the more notable names it was hardly a difficult task anyhow.
Kenneth Branagh is actually the weakest part. Yes, he can act and has the credits to prove it. Yet here, he does so much wrong. His accent is jarring and quite comical, his moustache is a little overdone and again a comical distraction. His acting too is a bit overwrought, but maybe the script didn't help him out. Should have been tailored more for him and the screen.
I was simply disappointed in this one. It's not actually all bad. The camera work is excellent, and thankfully they didn't pander to bloodlust murder fans with gory pictures, keeping it quite respectable. It's about the mystery that makes these stories.
Anyhow, disappointing here, but hopefully has introduced some people newly to Agatha Christie or at least reignited an interest in her work.
Good luck to Brannagh et al with the sequel, and hope they learnt from the criticisms that this one has widely generated.