As much a character study of the story protagonist, Adela Bradley (Diana Rigg), as a murder mystery, this film, the first in a series, was a minor disappointment to me. Mrs. Bradley is an older, wealthy woman who is chauffeured around by her driver George (Neil Dudgeon). She is nothing if not skeptical, cynical, worldly, and icy cold, traits I found not terribly endearing. The script has her making occasional asides to viewers, as if we're all invited along to see how a smart lady solves crimes; I did not care for that style of storytelling.
The murder mystery begins shortly after Mrs. Bradley arrives at the English estate of her old friend Alastair Bing (John Alderton). The victim is found in a bathtub. From this point on, Mrs. Bradley uses her analytical smarts to solve the crime.
The main problem with the story is that characters are not well defined until fairly late in the film. Heavy English accents made dialogue a tad difficult to understand at times. I could have wished for more time with various suspects, to get to know them, and their potential as the killer. It's one of those films wherein the story is perfectly clear ... the second time around.
"Speedy Death" is set in the 1920s. And the film has wonderful period piece costumes and production design, along with music from that era. I really like Diana Rigg as an actress. She was absolutely terrific in "Evil Under The Sun". But "Speedy Death", while still enjoyable for a one time viewing, lacks the sparkle and cinematic magic of the earlier Agatha Christie classic.
The murder mystery begins shortly after Mrs. Bradley arrives at the English estate of her old friend Alastair Bing (John Alderton). The victim is found in a bathtub. From this point on, Mrs. Bradley uses her analytical smarts to solve the crime.
The main problem with the story is that characters are not well defined until fairly late in the film. Heavy English accents made dialogue a tad difficult to understand at times. I could have wished for more time with various suspects, to get to know them, and their potential as the killer. It's one of those films wherein the story is perfectly clear ... the second time around.
"Speedy Death" is set in the 1920s. And the film has wonderful period piece costumes and production design, along with music from that era. I really like Diana Rigg as an actress. She was absolutely terrific in "Evil Under The Sun". But "Speedy Death", while still enjoyable for a one time viewing, lacks the sparkle and cinematic magic of the earlier Agatha Christie classic.