Reviews

This disastrous adaptation of the excellent Christie novel Cards on the Table might be used as an object lesson on how not to adapt a novel to the small screen.

I am not a purist when it comes to television adaptations. I understand that because television is an entirely different medium than literature, what works on the written page may not necessarily work on the screen. The producers of the Poirot television series have shown on plenty of occasions that they can update Christie's work successfully for the screen. "Five Little Pigs" was just about perfect; my personal favorite Christie, "Sad Cypress," was also excellent, without being slavishly faithful to the original material (i.e., making the wise decision to get Poirot into the story far earlier). The series has even, at times, improved upon Christie's weaker entries, as with "Cat Among the Pigeons." But when they screw up, they do so badly, and it's unfortunate that they've done so with one of Christie's best books. This is an adaptation that just can't leave well enough alone, one that makes too many unnecessary changes to the plot that do nothing to enhance the original material. The script swaps the personalities of two characters; introduces an unnecessary mother-daughter relationship; and changes Mr. Shaitana's reason for holding the fatal party. My biggest complaint has to do with the decision to make Colonel Hughes a suspect, which causes attention to wander away from the four bridge players. A big reason why this particular novel is one of Christie's most taut and exciting is that these players are the only four suspects. Attention in the adaptation should likewise have been kept exclusively on those four characters. Above all, the adaptation studiously ignores much of Poirot's psychological analysis of the bridge game and the scores to unravel the mystery. I suppose that was done to make the episode more comprehensible to viewers who don't play bridge, but with some careful work they could have retained much of Poirot's explanations without alienating the non-bridge-playing audience.

Casting-wise, the episode is a mixed bag. The producers made a major coup signing up Zoë Wanamaker for the recurring role of Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, a larger-than-life mystery novel writer whom Christie often used as her surrogate in her novels. Wanamaker is perfect for the role, capturing Mrs. Oliver's eccentricities without turning her into a grotesque or a caricature. She would go on to feature in a number of other episodes. Lesley Manville does a good job with the role of Mrs. Lorrimer, but Alexander Siddig, in the key role of Mr. Shaitana, seems to be sleepwalking through the entire episode in a completely phoned-in performance.

Overall, a disappointing watch.

This magical little film doesn't have flashy production values or Disney-quality animation, and yet it blows anything Disney has to offer right out of the water. Against all odds, this adaptation succeeds in perfectly capturing the winsome, nostalgic tone of Kenneth Grahame's classic novel. It features humor and surprisingly well-done musical sequences, but the producers have carefully preserved the spiritual dimensions of the book, notably the material about the Piper. Children will love it, but adults will appreciate its unexpectedly mature approach and may be caught off guard to find it moving. The result is a film that works on multiple levels and that everyone can enjoy. I've loved this film since I was 9, and at the age of 35 it still has the power to enchant.

I was fully expecting Cat Among the Pigeons to be dreadful, given that the source material is not one of Christie's stronger novels. Imagine my surprise when I watched this stylish, fun adaptation, done with tongue firmly in cheek. For some reason, the campy parts of the book actually translated well to screen (even the "orientalist" flashbacks to the Middle East), and the novel's plot was already so far-fetched that for once the screenwriters didn't change very much (the deletion of one minor character changes very little). Harriet Walter is a delight to watch, as always, and the rest of the casting was also spot on. The ending, which sees Poirot trying to find a way to thank one of the students for her assistance, was actually rather touching, and was a distinct improvement on the novel's.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best of the recent Poirot adaptations, and featuring more humor and wit than many of the others, which have become quite a lot darker than was the original television series.

This is one of Agatha Christie's very finest novels, pretty universally regarded by her fans as one of the top ten she wrote. And the producers have brought it to the screen with sensitivity and creativity.

One complaint that fans have had about the TV adaptations has been the tendancy to significantly alter plot details and characters beyond what's strictly necessary to translate the plot to television. Here, the writers have made comparatively minor changes to the plot, almost entirely for dramatic effect. They get Poirot into the story much earlier, and unlike the novel, it does not have very many courtroom scenes, a smart decision that keeps the material dynamic. The one signfiicant change is that Mary Gerrard is a less sympathetic character here than in the book. But ultimately the adaptation retains everything noteworthy about the book: it's more emotionally involving than many, it's extremely character-driven, and Christie's solution to the mystery is genius.

One thing I especially like about this episode is that it presents a softer, gentler side of Poirot that is evident throughout the novels but often overlooked. While he is fussy and arrogant at times, Poirot is actually a very kind and sympathetic man, no more so than in this novel. And that is portrayed faithfully here in Poirot's relationship with Elinor Carlisle.

Which brings me to the other main point: the character of Elinor, both in the novel and here, is front and central. Ultimately, that means that the episode is going to sink or swim based on the casting of this key role. And Elizabeth Dermot Walsh is absolutely phenomenal: they could not possibly have done better, and her performance must surely be regarded as one of the very best guest-star turns in the entire series. Ms. Dermot Walsh perfectly captures the character of Elinor from the novel-her contained passion and her heartbreak-with a luminous, quiet and sorrowful beauty. (Suchet has said in interviews that Dermot Walsh was his favorite guest star of the series.) There's a scene between the two of them close to the end that's among the most moving in this series.

Accompanied by a beautiful, romantic musical score and a strong script, this is absolutely terrific television. Bravissimo.