I think this might be one of my favorite feature Length Poirot's. I know it deviates from the book, but I still think it's brilliant. The mystery is a sort of perfect crime. There are four (or five) suspects: all have motive, all have opportunity, all of them have killed before. The only way to figure out who the culprit is, is through psychology. Thankfully, they were all playing Bridge, a very psychologically revealing game. Then there's added factor that the victim, psychopathic crime fan Mr. Shaitana (a brilliant Alexander Siddig) was fully expecting to be killed, and had in fact drugged himself accordingly. The premise is so brilliant that it probably could have held me on its own, but, of course, it is also accompanied by David Suchet's always great performance as Poirot, and a splendid supporting cast who for the most part fully inhabit their characters. This marks Zoe Wannamaker's first appearance as Ariadne Oliver, the bumbling crime writer, whom Poirot reluctantly takes on as a sidekick. I understand from the reviews, that a lot of people don't like this character, but I personally find her hilarious and am glad that she is in so many of the later episodes. The rest of the cast is also very good. Alex Jennings, Lyndsey Marshal, Lesley Manville, and Tristan Gemmill all bring the mentalities of the four suspects to the screen. While David Westhead (I'm not his greatest fan) brings genuine vulnerability to his unlikely role as police superintendent. But the crowning glory is Alexander Siddig as Shaitana, with the screenwriter's help he takes a character who has initially a racial caricature and transforms him into the kind of Moriarty-type villain so fascinated with the machinations of crime that he is willing to die to experience them. I love characters like that and Siddig plays this one to the hilt. The only weak link the cast is Robert Pugh as Colonel Hughes from the foreign office. Knowing this was originally supposed to Colonel Race (who was perfectly portrayed by James Fox in Death of the Nile), this was a huge let down. Pugh, though good in other parts has none of Fox's jovial charisma, and is rather boring here. I also think the plot line concerning Miss Meredith's roommate should have been left out. It was melodramatic and in an episode where psychology carried the day, not very psychologically plausible. It's the reason this gets nine stars and not ten. Aside from that, I completely love this episode, and gladly recommend it, with the warning that the last half-hour is very different from the book, and that one really has to pay attention to details.
Review of Cards on the Table
