Best movie ever!

Admirable film.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The other reviews do a good job summarizing this fine movie. So I'm "casting" this book with actual people from Agatha Christie's own real-life romantic tragedy...Fickle Fiancé' Roddy Winter...could be played by Agatha Christie's charming but unfaithful first husband Archie Christie.Elinor's aunt Madame Wellman could be cast as Agatha's late mother. Like Elinor Carlisle, Agatha Christie faced a double loss of two beloved people. In Agatha's case, it was her recently deceased beloved mother and -- soon after --the departure of her fickle husband Archie.Hercules Poirot...does not have a direct counterpart in Agatha's real life marriage breakup.. His advice to Elinor is wisely given... Perhaps he represents various unnamed friends who gave her support.Actually, Dr. Lord, who has admired Elinor from afar, I'd definitely cast as Max Mallowan, Agatha's beloved and faithful second husband. Dr. Lord radiates loyalty and good character. He brings in Hercules Poirot and (partial spoiler) Hercules Poirot...ultimately saves Elinor from execution for the murders of Madame Wellman and Mary Garrard.Mary Gerrard, the new love of Fickle Roddy Winter, represents the actual young woman who captured her husband's heart while she, Agatha, was away settling her late mother's estate.I think it unsurprising that Mary is...murdered. However, Mary is shown as a pleasant young woman who accepts Roddy's attentions but declares "I did not lead him on." Elinor feels guilty because she wanted dead...but she will learn...there's a difference between desire...and action.The actual murderer is, of course, eventually revealed. However, Elinor's resignation at her murder conviction almost keeps Poirot from getting from her...the key info needed...to find the actual murderer.So...this is a very human drama with love/loss as a repeated theme...Madame Wellman's lost love; Elinor's lost Roddy Winter; Roddy's soon-murdered new love..Mary Gerrard.Christie does not make simple good/bad characters. I hope writing this book helped her work through her personal pain. This book was published over 10 years after her marriage broke up. Her second marriage...to Max Mallowan...was a success. I "imagine" Elinor Carlisle and the kind Dr. Lord in a similar good marriage...

"Sad Cypress" is an absorbing Poirot mystery, and features some familiar names to those of us who love British mysteries.The story begins at the trial of Elinor Carlisle (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh) at which Poirot is present. She has been accused of murdering her rival, Mary Gerrard (Kelly Reilly). Her aunt's doctor (Paul McGann) insists to Poirot that Elinor could not have done it and begs Poirot for help. He goes to the house to investigate, but finds himself at a disadvantage. Everyone seems to be lying to him, including the doctor.Elinor, Mary, and Elinor's fiancée, Roddy (Rupert Penry-Jones) were all childhood friends. Elinor receives an anonymous letter indicating that her expected inheritance from her aunt (Diana Quick) is in danger thanks to an interloper. She and Roddy go to visit their aunt and find that Mary has returned after being away from some time. The aunt is very ill and being attended to by a nurse and Mary.After being at the house for several days, it becomes apparent to Elinor that Roddy and Mary are not only attracted to one another but acting on it. Elinor breaks off the engagement. While at the house, Elinor's aunt dies, and Elinor, knowing had she not died, her aunt wanted Mary to have some money, gives her some money from the estate.Later, she has a luncheon for Mary and the nurse (Phyllis Logan). Mary is found dead of poisoning later on. When her aunt's body is exhumed at Poirot's insistence, it turns out she was also poisoned. Elinor is accused and put on trial. She admits to wanting Mary dead.I thought Rupert Penry-Jones looked familiar, but his hair is very blond in this so I didn't realize he was Carter on MI-5 and the star of so many other British shows. Phyllis Logan was a mainstay on Lovejoy. Beautiful Kelly Reilly had her own series for a time, Above Suspicion, and has also had a recurring role on True Detective and the series Black Box.Very absorbing, with the usual high production values. There were comments of Suchet slowing down as Poirot. Perhaps - in this program, he appears less than usual, but he is excellent. I do miss Japp, Hastings, and Miss Lemon, and I frankly don't understand why they weren't used in later episodes.The plot is a little contrived, but watch and enjoy.

This is a beautiful looking production, wonderfully shot and - on the whole - very well acted. David Suchet's excellent Poirot enters the story somewhat earlier than in the book but that's not too surprising - the series is called 'Poirot' and fans will want to see him at the earliest opportunity. Being one of my favourite Poirot books, I had quite definite ideas of how these characters should look and feel and generally speaking I was happy with the results in the film. Elisabeth Dermott Walsh was really spot on as Elinor and Rupert Penry Jones catches Roddy's weakness very well. It was nice to see the excellent Phyllis Logan pop up as one of the nurses and Diana Quick is suitably sympathetic as the invalid Mrs Welman. Perhaps my only slight reservation is that the crucial role of Mary Gerrard is played as rather more 'knowing' than she ought to be and as a result rather less sympathetic.Two disappointments, one very trivial and one not quite so. Much as I enjoyed the denouement, it didn't have the power of that in the book where the solution was revealed by a series of revelations within the courtroom. The film opts for a more exciting end but as a result it's less believable. The trivial disappointment is a lack of attention to detail, for the important supporting role of the Zephirine Drouhin rose is miscast - it should be bright pink and not crimson red! Seriously though, this is a very good film overall and well worth watching.

A quite engrossing if, as usual, contrived mystery. I do agree that David Suchet is the ultimate Hercule even if he's losing much of his energy. In fact, I think that "Curtain" would be the ideal Hercule for him to do at this or a little later point.I disagree with a review that said that it was more fun with Japp, Hastings and Lemon. I thought they were brought into the earlier productions by the short hairs and not convincingly all the time.I do agree that the Suchet "Death on the Nile" was disappointing but I'd recently seen the Ustinov again (I didn't really like him in the part.) and was only too familiar with the story so I gave up early on.I thought the acting was generally good and everyone was well-cast.8 out of 10.