Cheap Poirot: The ABC Murders (DVD) (Ross Devenish, Edward Bennett, Richard Spence, Peter Barber-Fleming, Andrew Piddington, Ken Grieve, John Bruce (II), Brian Farnham, Renny Rye, Andrew Grieve) Price

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Customer Reviews of Poirot: The ABC Murders

You fancy yourself don't you, at solving mysteries that are too difficult for our thick-
headed British police? Let us see, Mr. Clever Poirot, just how clever you can be. Perhaps you'll find this nut too hard to crack. Look out for Andover, on the 21st of this month.

Yours sincerely

A.B.C.

The first of what could have been twenty-six letters addressed to Poirot results in one of the Belgian detective's most renowned cases. After a six month dearth of cases, the letter serves to remove the rust from Poirot's neglected "little grey cells," and the return of his friend Captain Hastings from the wilds of Venezuela teams them up once again.

Sure enough, there is a murder in Andover, the only clue being an ABC Railway Guide, which is a detailed booklet listing trains going to and from one city to another, indexed by city. And within the scope of ten days, there is a total of three murders. Poirot thinks there is some connection to the murders, despite the murderer's penchant with the alphabet. Is he right? Poirot has assistance from the relatives of the murder victims, all determined to catch A.B.C. Chief Inspector Japp isn't too impressed, though, as he believes Scotland Yard is good enough.

The viewer is also introduced to a tall lonely man with glasses, shabby coat, and a stooped back named Mr. Cust. He has been mentally affected by his service in World War I, and has been reduced to selling stockings, a sad reminder of how veterans were unable to get decent jobs during the interwar economic slump. In fact he laughs crazily when someone tells him the difference between diseases and wars is that the latter can be prevented.

Some padding in the original novel is left out, all very well, but that is replaced by a comedic subplot of Hastings trying to tell anyone who'd listen about a caiman he shot while in Venezuela and had stuffed. It's all the more funnier when we learn that Hastings brought this as a gift for Poirot, and its large grotesque presence clashes with Poirot's sense of aesthetics. Also, the ABC Guide is for the year 1936. In the original novel, the first letter Poirot gets is dated 21 June 1935. Clearly, the movie's a year off. And Chief Inspector Japp has a more substantial role here than in the novel, that being given to Inspector Crome.

Most of the characters bear great similarities to the novel. Of the guest cast, Donald Sumpter does best as the good but weak-minded Cust. Apart from the regulars, Nicholas Farrell (Don Fraser) is the only other well-known actor, appearing in Chariots Of Fire, and Branagh's Hamlet as Horatio. His hair's not red per the novel, but he exudes the jealous boyfriend character well, even if he's older than the novel's Fraser. However, the novel's Franklin Clarke is described as a "big fair-haired man with a sunburnt face," a far cry from the character shown here, clearly in his 60's.

Other than that, this is one of the best Poirot feature-length adaptations, as key parts of Agatha Christie's dialogue from the novel is reproduced. Indeed, the question remains-what does a madman look like? A tall sinister person with a beard, furtive eyes, wearing a black hat, or someone like you and me?

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!!
I cannot possibly praise The ABC Murders highly enough. Not only is it my favorite Poirot (which says a lot), I count it as one of my all-time favorite movies.

Any movie can be either lost or salvaged by its script, and this is screenwriting at its absolute best. Every line of dialogue is perfectly scripted, and even better, perfectly executed by each brilliant actor. The Poirot series is famed for its excellent acting, but wow, does this take the cake! What can I say about David Suchet? He is such a phenomenal actor that you entirely forget that he's acting. Hugh Frasier is charmingly clueless as always, and Philip Jackson absolutely shines as the upstaged and frustrated (but, ultimately, conscientious and good-hearted) Chief Inspector Japp.

However, the real stars of The ABC Murders are the extras, and, not to say too much, there is at least one performance that is Oscar-worthy.

There is also a great deal of suspense that is not generally present in other Poirot episodes that stems from its very un-typical plot, and which is perfectly paced throughout the movie to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Add to this perfection a liberal dose of subtle British humor (enough to satisfy even the hungriest anglophile), and the art-deco ambiance which is immaculate to the tiniest detail.

My only complaint is that the DVD video quality is not pristine - it is somewhat grainy, especially during the dark scenes. (Acorn has corrected this problem in the newest Poirot release, Hickory Dickory Dock, which is crystal-clear.)

But that is a very small complaint, and overall this is outstanding entertainment.

Best in Breed
Of the first three feature-length Poirot episodes in the Acorn series, The ABC Mysteries is best of breed. Let me hit the highpoints:

*Features a novel premise that, unlike the one in Death in the Clouds, seems at least slightly plausible. Right up there with Murder of Roger Ackroyd (the novel; haven't seen the movie).
*Suspense and anxiety created throughout and enhanced by a sense of urgency; think of it as "the little gray cells" on the run.
*Makes Poirot seem a bit larger than life in this one as seemingly all of England follows his exploits in this one
*Excellent direction that ...Sorry, I can't even suggest more without giving stuff away. But if it doesn't have you convinced, then you're better than I.
*Suchet's always wonderful performance. Suchet is Poirot...or is Poirot Suchet?

Of course, my standard complaint with this series remains. Where are the multimedia extras? That's why I can only give it four stars. Get with it Acorn. DVDs are not books. They are multimedia delivery devices. Text-based extras won't cut it.

If you're a fan of the series, you'll want this one. An absolute original.