Without a doubt one of the best films in the series. It is darker and more engaging fare than usual; the mystery (based on Agatha Christie's underrated "Hickory Dickory Dock") keeps you guessing, and the film plays almost like a giallo at times. Labarthe gives one of his most rounded - comedic AND dramatic - performances in the role of Laurence, but it's Elodie Frenck who really proves her acting credentials here, with her absolutely amazing transformation in her second role, that of Marlene's sister; she is SO unrecognizable that you can't believe it's the same actress, even upon close inspection, and even though you know she is! Bravo, Elodie. *** out of 4.
Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie (TV Series)
Pension Vanilos (2015)
User Reviews
Review this title2 Reviews
Hickory Dickory Dock
TheLittleSongbird11 May 2019
With Agatha Christie being one of my favourite authors for quite a long time now, being someone who likes foreign language detective/mystery series/dramas and as someone who's studied and sings in French and loves the language, 'Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie', as said frequently, appealed to me straightaway. It is an uneven series but it is interesting and entertaining mostly and it was nice to see something different without disgracing the source material.
Very loosely adapted (with not much resemblance actually) from 'Hickory Dickory Dock', not one of my favourite Christies but any Christie is worth reading at least once, "Pension Vanilos" for me was one of the best episodes of 'Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie' and a contender for the best up to this point. Also consider it, along with "Cartes Sur Table" (the superior adaptation of 'Cards on the Table'), one of the best Laurence and Avril episodes. Having been mixed on their previous episodes and really missing Larosiere and Lampion. If, if necessary, comparing the far more faithful (with it being far less loose) David Suchet adaptation, actually consider this better and much tighter paced with far less padding.
Like with "Cartes Sur Table", there is very little to criticise with "Pension Vanilos". Would have liked to have seen more of Laurence and Avril together but that is a small personal preference.
Am so glad though that "Cartes Sur Table" was not a fluke with the improved character writing for Laurence and the chemistry between him and Avril being far more harmonious when they are together. In most of their previous episodes, with a couple of exceptions, it was like two flavours of a meal clashing with each other which was not the case here. They are great individually, have never had a problem with Alice and have always considered her a breath of fresh air. She still is, Blandine Bellavoir's charming and spirited acting has a lot to do with it, and in a way that does not distract from the, by 'Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie' standards, dark story. Really appreciated that Laurence looks more relaxed and less annoying, and Samuel Labarthe does well in even bringing more dimension to the character. "Pension Vanilos" is one of the best paced episodes too, it gets to the point quicker than most episodes of the series and doesn't lose momentum, padding is very little to none and everything felt important.
"Pension Vanilos" boasts one of the more distinguished supporting casts, all giving never less than solid performances with all standing out in some way. What sets the episode apart on top of the other improvements is that it has one of the series' standout supporting/guest turns, a strong contender for the best with it being a challenging dual role. Elodie Frenck is a revelation in both roles (heartfelt and also chillingly cold), especially as Solange. The mystery is one of the series' darkest, so the light-hearted humorous elements are not as prominent in a good way while not making the episode too overly-serious, and there are a lot of suspenseful moments and nice turns. The denouement didn't floor me but it was still well executed and was not obvious in reveal or too obvious too early.
The production values are handsome and makes one nostalgic for the period with it being so lovingly recreated, while also appropriately darker than usual to complement the darker tone of the story. The beautiful photography complements more than nicely. The music matches the light-hearted and at times very atmospheric tone very well. The script is class personified and the story avoids being over-complicated and is far from safe or tame like some of the previous Laurence and Avril episodes were.
In conclusion, great. 9/10
Very loosely adapted (with not much resemblance actually) from 'Hickory Dickory Dock', not one of my favourite Christies but any Christie is worth reading at least once, "Pension Vanilos" for me was one of the best episodes of 'Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie' and a contender for the best up to this point. Also consider it, along with "Cartes Sur Table" (the superior adaptation of 'Cards on the Table'), one of the best Laurence and Avril episodes. Having been mixed on their previous episodes and really missing Larosiere and Lampion. If, if necessary, comparing the far more faithful (with it being far less loose) David Suchet adaptation, actually consider this better and much tighter paced with far less padding.
Like with "Cartes Sur Table", there is very little to criticise with "Pension Vanilos". Would have liked to have seen more of Laurence and Avril together but that is a small personal preference.
Am so glad though that "Cartes Sur Table" was not a fluke with the improved character writing for Laurence and the chemistry between him and Avril being far more harmonious when they are together. In most of their previous episodes, with a couple of exceptions, it was like two flavours of a meal clashing with each other which was not the case here. They are great individually, have never had a problem with Alice and have always considered her a breath of fresh air. She still is, Blandine Bellavoir's charming and spirited acting has a lot to do with it, and in a way that does not distract from the, by 'Les Petits Meurtres D'Agatha Christie' standards, dark story. Really appreciated that Laurence looks more relaxed and less annoying, and Samuel Labarthe does well in even bringing more dimension to the character. "Pension Vanilos" is one of the best paced episodes too, it gets to the point quicker than most episodes of the series and doesn't lose momentum, padding is very little to none and everything felt important.
"Pension Vanilos" boasts one of the more distinguished supporting casts, all giving never less than solid performances with all standing out in some way. What sets the episode apart on top of the other improvements is that it has one of the series' standout supporting/guest turns, a strong contender for the best with it being a challenging dual role. Elodie Frenck is a revelation in both roles (heartfelt and also chillingly cold), especially as Solange. The mystery is one of the series' darkest, so the light-hearted humorous elements are not as prominent in a good way while not making the episode too overly-serious, and there are a lot of suspenseful moments and nice turns. The denouement didn't floor me but it was still well executed and was not obvious in reveal or too obvious too early.
The production values are handsome and makes one nostalgic for the period with it being so lovingly recreated, while also appropriately darker than usual to complement the darker tone of the story. The beautiful photography complements more than nicely. The music matches the light-hearted and at times very atmospheric tone very well. The script is class personified and the story avoids being over-complicated and is far from safe or tame like some of the previous Laurence and Avril episodes were.
In conclusion, great. 9/10
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
