I've been crash-dumping episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot into my brain for the last few months, and I've come to realize how good an actor David Suchet is. And he is why this latest retelling of Christie's most famous novel is so amazing.
It just aired Sunday in America, and this is nowhere close to the comedic and overacted 1974 movie. It is far, far better. Suchet plays Poirot as a tired, world-weary, and almost despondent man whose life peering into the worst of humanity has caught up with him. He clings to the ideals of morality, law, and justice as his last defense against the world that surrounds him. It is a fantastic, heartbreaking performance, and Suchet's last scene underscores the breaking of a man with incredible power.
This version chooses to focus not so much on the whodunnit aspect of the story, but rather on the moral questions raised by the crime and, in a sharply written and powerfully acted climax, the corruption of Poirot's steadfast adherence to his principles.
Did anybody else watch this? If not, you really need to. If you have even a passing interest in detective stories or Christie's books in particular, this is a can't-miss. It takes some liberties with Christie's original story, but as with the best adaptations, it tells its own story masterfully.
It just aired Sunday in America, and this is nowhere close to the comedic and overacted 1974 movie. It is far, far better. Suchet plays Poirot as a tired, world-weary, and almost despondent man whose life peering into the worst of humanity has caught up with him. He clings to the ideals of morality, law, and justice as his last defense against the world that surrounds him. It is a fantastic, heartbreaking performance, and Suchet's last scene underscores the breaking of a man with incredible power.
This version chooses to focus not so much on the whodunnit aspect of the story, but rather on the moral questions raised by the crime and, in a sharply written and powerfully acted climax, the corruption of Poirot's steadfast adherence to his principles.
Did anybody else watch this? If not, you really need to. If you have even a passing interest in detective stories or Christie's books in particular, this is a can't-miss. It takes some liberties with Christie's original story, but as with the best adaptations, it tells its own story masterfully.
