So, they're finally adapting a short story for the Miss Marple series on PBS and ITV.
Since Season 2, the producers of Marple, which then starred Geraldine McEwan but now stars Julia McKenzie, saw fit to drop Agatha Christie's septuagenarian super-sleuth into novels she had never appeared in. Since there are only twelve novels featuring Miss Marple, and only four episodes per season, I assume they did this to keep the series running for more than three seasons. Throughout, of course, fans have been crying foul, since there are a great number of short stories that have never been adapted for film or television.
Which makes sense, of course. For one thing, since Miss Marple is not the sleuth of the novel, she often takes a backseat to the original leads, suddenly appearing at the end to enlighten everyone. And since the writers are so keen to make their own stories up anyway (Why Didn't They Ask Evans, The Sittaford Mystery, Murder is Easy, At Bertram's Hotel), wouldn't making a 90-minute adaptation of a short story be more appealing anyway? You're given the basic blueprints for expansion! And they did it for years with the Poirot series starring David Suchet, to great effect.
Well, there I was, watching Spice World, and I was wondering what the lady who plays Deborah, Richard E Grant's assistant in the film, was up to. So I looked her up on the IMDb, discovering both her name (Claire Rushbrook) and the title for an upcoming project: Marple: The Blue Geranium.
Which is hella exciting. "The Blue Geranium" is from the short story collection The Tuesday Club Murders, released in the UK as The Thirteen Problems (our title's better). It happens to be my favorite one. You see, there are no such thing as blue geraniums, and there's a psychic and a sick wife and sudden death which gets Miss Marple all suspicious, and OH SO MUCH FUN!
So yes, I guess since they only have two novels left to adapt, so the producers realized they needed to find a way to keep the show going. Hopefully, this means more short story adaptations, and fewer insertions of Miss Marple in stories she doesn't belong in! Hopefully....
Marple: The Blue Geranium stars Julia McKenzie, Toby Stephens (Die Another Day), Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean), Claudie Blakley (Gosford Park, Bright Star), Joanna Page (Love Actually), Claire Rushbrook and Donald Sinden (Mogambo).
Showing posts with label Miss Marple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miss Marple. Show all posts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Ten Thoughts on Marple: Murder is Easy
1. Familiar Faces
Boy, everyone was in this episode. Steve Pemberton from The League of Gentlemen, Jemma Redgrave (niece of Vanessa and Lynn), David Haig (The Thin Blue Line, Two Weeks Notice) and his Four Weddings and a Funeral costar Anna Chancellor, Benedict Cumberbatch (rapist in Atonement), Lyndsey Marshal (Poirot: Cards on the Table), Sylvia "Mrs. Richard Attenborough" Syms, Hugo Speer (SAG Ensemble Nominee for The Fully Monty), Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle) and of course Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple.
2. Va-Va-VOOM
Look, I am a red-blooded male, okay? When I see a hot chick, I react. And oshkosh b'gosh, Margo Stilley is just sexy.
3. Tip of the Hat
...to Stephen Churchett. Although his screenplay bears as much resemblance to the original novel as I do to Angela Bassett, it was still fun and fascinating. He played fair with the clues, made the motive more believable, let murders that took place before the novel occur during the action, and once again played the coroner. Good work.
4. Wag of the Finger
...to the last shot. I can see nothing. Why is everything so out of focus? Miss Marple reassuring Luke that he and Bridget will meet again: sweet, felt like an ending. But then that last shot of an out-of-focus Miss Marple walking off with luggage. Unimaginative.
5. Ghost Town
Apparently short on extras, the entire village is literally made up of all twelve characters we are introduced to. No one else is in church, or at the funerals. Only a few others are at the inquest. And the law is represented by one constable. Crazy.
6. Bridget's Car
It's freeking sweet.
7. Jemma Redgrave
She rocked this. The character is the caricature of the batty lady, but Jemma plays it with such a sense of fun that it feels more entertaining than contrived. And appletinis!
8. The More You Know
Apparently, there is a plant that induces abortions. I didn't know this, and I suppose it to be true since making that up would constitute not playing fair. And god forbid Stephen Churchett not play fair.
9. What a Mess
Eight victims, including two that get it off-screen. That is so many. And with only twelve people in the village, I can see where there's pressure on the young doctor and his girlfriend to get married. I like me a pile of bodies. It always makes things more interesting.
10. Ah, That's the Marple I Know and Love
So, Miss Marple gathers everyone for the solution, names whodunnit, and is about to discuss why. The suspect begs Marple not to reveal their shame. Miss Marple agrees, saying the secret being kept is shameful, and can barely be spoken aloud. Then she tells everyone in the village without batting an eye. Ruthless, cold, unfeeling Jane -- yay!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Cause for Delay
I will be unable to post my thoughts on last night's intriguing episode of Marple today. I am en vacances, as they say, in an area without wireless. As we speak, I am working on my grandparents' PC instead of my Macbook Pro. Gah.
Things should be returning to normal Wednesday evening. Until then, I shall listen to My Fair Lady until I can't anymore. It will be a few months, I can tell you.
Things should be returning to normal Wednesday evening. Until then, I shall listen to My Fair Lady until I can't anymore. It will be a few months, I can tell you.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Ten Thoughts on Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye
A four-part series in which I take a gander at my favorite on-air program, Agatha Christie's Marple, on Masterpiece Mystery!.
1. Julia McKenzie is an OK Miss Marple
She's like a bridge between Geraldine McEwan and Joan Hickson. She's all smiles, like McEwan, but a little more discreet with her manipulations, like Hickson. The tweed suits her, I think. I do miss how McEwan always relished the murders, condemned everyone around her, and laughed when the police had no idea what she was talking about. McKenzie is a little closer to the novels, especially in this adaptation.
2. Poor Wendy Richard
This is the last production Miss Brahms filmed before she died of cancer earlier this year. And it looks like it. It's not just the frumpy makeup, either. I haven't felt this bad for someone since watching the adaptation of Murder with Mirrors with a post-stroke Bette Davis. I did notice, of course, that while everyone else gets invasive close-ups, Richard only briefly approaches the camera before turning away quickly, and all of her scenes are kept in the blurrily-lit kitchen. Truly depressing.
3. When Age Creeps Up on You
Good Lord, is that really Prunella Scales? Again, I can't tell if it's the makeup or nature, but it's jarring to find one's boyhood heroes/heroines at this state. I suppose I wouldn't be so shocked if I actually paid attention to their careers between Britcoms and Marple appearances. Interesting note: her husband, Timothy West, played the victim in the first adaptation of this episode.
4. "Bye-Bye, Blackbird"
Having seen Public Enemies a second time earlier that afternoon, I already had Diana Krall's sexy vocals in my head. To hear the same tune in a Marple film just seven hours later caught me off guard. More so since this was the face singing it. Bleh.
5. No Really: Bye-Bye, Blackbird
Lord, the pie scene was horrifying. It lasts all of two seconds, I've seen a previous version, read the book, heard the radio series--but God! How ghastly! Well-done, production team!
6. Stupid Flashbacks
As happens with whodunnits, we get flashbacks to the true events as Miss Marple gives her denouement. They're blurry. Foggy. Stupid. I can't see a bloody thing, and it looks hokey besides. And every sound gets an echo effect. I much prefer Murder She Wrote's method of a voice-over being the only soundtrack in flashbacks lit like the rest of the film.
7. Brilliant Work, Susie Parriss!
With the exceptions of the dull Lucy Cohu (Pat Fortescue) and the overbearing Ken Campbell (Crump the butler), this was one of the more perfectly cast productions in recent Marple memory. Rupert Graves and Ben Miles were perfect as the ne'erdowell and priggish brothers, respectively. Helen Baxendale's Mary Dove was suitably humorless and humorous at the same time. Liz White and Hattie Morahan turned previously dull characters into neat roles, with Morahan's performance and Elyot's screenplay maturing the young daughter Elaine from a crybaby girl to a strong, politically-active woman. Matthew Macfadyen was incredible as Inspector Neele, one of my favorite characters in all of Christiedom. And Anna Madeley's Adele Fortescue is one for the books.
8. Mm, Cake
It always took me out of the story, but all I could think whenever they showed this bit of prop-ery was, "Lord almighty, I want a piece of that." Same thought also applies to this:
9. No Miss Ramsbottom? No Problem!
How engaging was this production? So much so, in fact, that it took me a full hour into the 90-minute program to realize they had cut out my favorite character from the novel. Previously played by Fabia Drake (and by Maggie Smith in my head), I was shocked when I realized that not only was she absent, but I didn't even miss her! Strong writing indeed, Kevin Elyot! Have a cookie.
10. Alan Cumming Has Bedroom Eyes
He's the new host of Masterpiece Mystery!, inheriting duties previously executed by Diana Rigg and Vincent Price. He is a worthy heir, but he always looks like he's trying to seduce the audience. It's nerve-wracking. I'm not used to feeling indecent while watching PBS.
1. Julia McKenzie is an OK Miss Marple
She's like a bridge between Geraldine McEwan and Joan Hickson. She's all smiles, like McEwan, but a little more discreet with her manipulations, like Hickson. The tweed suits her, I think. I do miss how McEwan always relished the murders, condemned everyone around her, and laughed when the police had no idea what she was talking about. McKenzie is a little closer to the novels, especially in this adaptation.
2. Poor Wendy Richard
This is the last production Miss Brahms filmed before she died of cancer earlier this year. And it looks like it. It's not just the frumpy makeup, either. I haven't felt this bad for someone since watching the adaptation of Murder with Mirrors with a post-stroke Bette Davis. I did notice, of course, that while everyone else gets invasive close-ups, Richard only briefly approaches the camera before turning away quickly, and all of her scenes are kept in the blurrily-lit kitchen. Truly depressing.
3. When Age Creeps Up on You
Good Lord, is that really Prunella Scales? Again, I can't tell if it's the makeup or nature, but it's jarring to find one's boyhood heroes/heroines at this state. I suppose I wouldn't be so shocked if I actually paid attention to their careers between Britcoms and Marple appearances. Interesting note: her husband, Timothy West, played the victim in the first adaptation of this episode.
4. "Bye-Bye, Blackbird"
Having seen Public Enemies a second time earlier that afternoon, I already had Diana Krall's sexy vocals in my head. To hear the same tune in a Marple film just seven hours later caught me off guard. More so since this was the face singing it. Bleh.
5. No Really: Bye-Bye, Blackbird
Lord, the pie scene was horrifying. It lasts all of two seconds, I've seen a previous version, read the book, heard the radio series--but God! How ghastly! Well-done, production team!
6. Stupid Flashbacks
As happens with whodunnits, we get flashbacks to the true events as Miss Marple gives her denouement. They're blurry. Foggy. Stupid. I can't see a bloody thing, and it looks hokey besides. And every sound gets an echo effect. I much prefer Murder She Wrote's method of a voice-over being the only soundtrack in flashbacks lit like the rest of the film.
7. Brilliant Work, Susie Parriss!
With the exceptions of the dull Lucy Cohu (Pat Fortescue) and the overbearing Ken Campbell (Crump the butler), this was one of the more perfectly cast productions in recent Marple memory. Rupert Graves and Ben Miles were perfect as the ne'erdowell and priggish brothers, respectively. Helen Baxendale's Mary Dove was suitably humorless and humorous at the same time. Liz White and Hattie Morahan turned previously dull characters into neat roles, with Morahan's performance and Elyot's screenplay maturing the young daughter Elaine from a crybaby girl to a strong, politically-active woman. Matthew Macfadyen was incredible as Inspector Neele, one of my favorite characters in all of Christiedom. And Anna Madeley's Adele Fortescue is one for the books.
8. Mm, Cake
It always took me out of the story, but all I could think whenever they showed this bit of prop-ery was, "Lord almighty, I want a piece of that." Same thought also applies to this:
9. No Miss Ramsbottom? No Problem!
How engaging was this production? So much so, in fact, that it took me a full hour into the 90-minute program to realize they had cut out my favorite character from the novel. Previously played by Fabia Drake (and by Maggie Smith in my head), I was shocked when I realized that not only was she absent, but I didn't even miss her! Strong writing indeed, Kevin Elyot! Have a cookie.
10. Alan Cumming Has Bedroom Eyes
He's the new host of Masterpiece Mystery!, inheriting duties previously executed by Diana Rigg and Vincent Price. He is a worthy heir, but he always looks like he's trying to seduce the audience. It's nerve-wracking. I'm not used to feeling indecent while watching PBS.
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