(2013-06-18 23:48:58)

This is a winner!

This review is from: Evil Under the Sun (DVD) Hollywood did not always do well by Dame Agatha as Christie herself lamented, but in the 70s and 80s, they did a wonderful set of movies based on her books, and this is one of the best.Ustinov brings his own interpretation to the part of Poirot, but he is so respectful to the author that even Christie wouldn't complain. A beautiful location, a wonderful cast of characters, many of whom we will never see again, and enchanting songs by Cole Porter contribute to a film that endears while it endures.Diana Rigg, at her best, plays a brazen hussy openly pursuing the handsome and willing husband of a mousey guest (Jane Birkin)at Maggie Smith's tropical hotel. Rigg's own faithful husband is disturbed, her stepdaughter is sarcastic, the show biz couple who's play she walked out on are disgruntled (the oddly paired suave James Mason and the outspoken Sylvia Miles), and Roddy Mcdowall, playing her biographer, is outraged as only Roddy Mcdowall can be.Not surprisingly, Diana Rigg is found murdered. What is surprising is that everyone has an alibi for the time of the murder. Even Poirot has trouble with this one. But of course, Christie has a brilliant surprise ending in store, and the screen writer and director make use of their exceptional cast to give us one of the best endings I've seen in a movie.

(2013-06-18 14:21:24)

pleased

This review is from: Evil Under the Sun (DVD) After I got use to the fact it was suppose to be humorous--it was fun.

heedarmy

(2013-06-17 12:00:00)

Pure pleasure

Agatha Christie's novels may not be intellectually stimulating but they areperfect light reading and this delightful film recaptures that quality.Slickly directed by Hamilton and well-played by all the cast, there is astriking and surprising opening on the rainswept Yorkshire moors before weare whisked off to sun-drenched Majorca. The plot twist is one ofChristie's most cunning devices, which she re-used on several occasions.And of course, as everyone else has commented, the music issublime.

Framescourer

(2013-06-17 03:29:37)

Dated, half-baked but nonetheless engaging

A classic holiday-period thriller. It's a protracted festival of hamand it can be let down by its extraordinarily dated wardrobe butthere's plenty here to enjoy.Ustinov has a marvellous, transformative effect on the necessaryscene-chewery. His charming ennui isn't as twinkly as in Death on theNile (four years previously), but it serves as well. There's prettygood support from the 'A-list' cast, particularly Jane Birkin and DianaRigg - Maggie Smith isn't quite the nouveau riche ex-pat of the filmingperiod, nor the bohemian of the 30s but it doesn't matter. One watchedher for the same reason one watches Ustinov.The real joy of the film is the location filming. There are wide-eyedshots of the dramatic Majorcan coast and an endless supply of richsunshine. Another thing one's happy to watch at Christmas. 4/10

(2013-06-13 08:28:15)

A Terrific Movie - Archetype of the Genre

The setting; languid and exotic. The guests; appropriately and splendidly leisurely. The detective; Hercule Poirot, resourceful and intuitive. The era; a time of graceful living. The crime; murder. The dilema; an unsolvable mystery, except...For pure entertainment, this is a delightful whodunit - an archetype of the genre.

lav814471

(2013-06-12 18:28:51)

An Amazing performance

SPOILER ALERT!! Evil is definitely the best Poirot film ever made!Diana Rigg,Maggie Smith and Jane Birkin give fantastic performances!The chemistry between Nicholas Clay and Rigg is amazing! I love Rigg'sperformance of "your're the top" The music throughout the whole film isgreat! The one thing I did notice in the film that puzzles me is howfast birkin managed to go to gull cove murder Arlene, and then returnto the hotel have a bath and then go to the tennis game all in half anhour!? I don't think that Emily Hone is given enough credit for herrole, she did a great job!I recommend this film 100% to anyone who hasn't seen it! and if you didlike this film you'll love diana rigg in mother love,and hazard ofhearts where she is just as bitchy!

(2013-06-09 14:16:30)

great watercolors

This review is from: Evil Under the Sun (DVD) I always enjor Agatha Christy stories, but this rendition of Hercule Periot was particularly good from the cast of characters were acted by excelent actors, the lovely watercolor pictures at the begining to the to the lovely scenic island pictires. The suspence held on until the very end. Diana Rigg's fashions were lovely.

(2013-06-08 16:33:38)

Evil Under The Sun

This is one of my favorite movies. Other actor that play Poirot pale incomparison to Ustinov. The other cast members are outstanding. It will keep you guessing up to the last minute. I have watched this movies more times than I can count and still love it.

Jay Alan

(2013-05-23 10:12:49)

I love Agatha Christie!

This movie was so good. It caused me to take my first trip to the bookstore.Evil Under the Sun was the first novel I ever read. I've read about 50 otherAgatha Christie's books since then, Death on the Nile being the second, andhey Peter Ustinov played Poirot in that movie too! too cool. I loved him asPoirot. both movies got an 8/10 from me

(2013-05-22 19:52:30)

Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun

This review is from: Evil Under the Sun [VHS] (VHS Tape) I saw this film for the first time on cable and fell in love with it's bitch filled dialogue and cast. The Mediterranean settings are beautiful, costumes delightfully over the top and witty dialogue that lets the marvelous cast go not only for the jugular, but for bone marrow. Who can resist Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Diana Rigg ripping each other to shreds, all the while smiling at each other like the dearest of friends. Dame Maggie's line about Diana throwing her legs in the air higher than anybody else in the chorus is classic. Peter Ustinov is, as always, a delight as Hercule Poirot. All in all, it's a very fun film to watch and I'll bet you'll never guess where the missing diamond is hidden. Enjoy this film for the wonderfully fun bit of froth that it is.

Jennifer Litchfield

(2013-05-21 06:53:50)

Star rating: 2 out of 5

Evil Under the Sun is an unfortunately abysmal rendition of AgathaChristie's novel of the same name. The very English environment andupper-middle class social milieu that Christie was so adept at creating hasbeen mangled beyond recognition. Instead of the English seaside, the actionhas been removed to an island in a laughably fictional kingdom somewhere inthe Adriatic. However, this does provide one of the few saving graces ofthe film - some absolutely stunning coastal scenery. Peter Ustinov is a very passable Poirot (even if some of the things thedirector and screenwriter have got him doing are highly unlikely). When anaging actress is murdered whilst on holiday, there are no shortage ofsuspects amongst the other guesthouse residents. But all would appear tohave cast iron alibis, so Belgian sleuth supreme Hercule Poirot must call onhis "little grey cells" to distinguish fact from fiction. The othercharacters are portrayed with a highly developed sense of camp, and indeedthe film ends up feeling like a parody that doesn't quite manage to pull itoff. Watch however, for some fabulous verbal sparring between Maggie Smithand Diana Rigg. It is only at the last, when Poirot is expounding his theory on the identityof the murderers that the movie regains some credibility. Despite theawkwardly connected sub-plots concerning a missing jewel and a murder on theEnglish moors, the loose ends are tied up, and the viewer shares the guests'indignation as it appears that the perpetrators of the crime are going toget away with it. In conclusion, watch it if you must, but don't let it putyou off seeing other (largely far superior) screen adaptations of Christie'sstories.

Ric

(2013-05-20 16:28:41)

Legendary storyline, exceptional acting

Maggie Smith and Peter Ustinov steal this film with fine acting. They are surrounded by great talent, a fine screenplay, and a magnificent (utterly beautiful) setting. This is one of my favorite films, and has a crisp, clean, cohesive plot that only a master storyteller can build. I recommend it for all ages, but it will probably be most popular with the 40+ crowd, because it represents a time when plots could be simple, yet effective. If you like mysteries, you will love this one!

(2013-05-19 16:43:21)

A little evil is a good thing

This review is from: Evil Under the Sun (Amazon Instant Video) A quality item with vivid colors for a colorful location. Sets are excellently designed an built. Good performances and the solution to the crime could not be anticipate. Excellent.

1bilbo

(2013-05-18 23:13:27)

Must see

This is a superb film – right through.A group of wealthy performers, writers and producers gather for aholiday on a beautiful island hotel run by an ex-show girl played byMaggie Smith. Right from the arrival of the guests the sparks start tofly. The interplay between Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg is priceless andMaggie Smith is really funny throughout the entire film.The entire cast is absolutely top notch and they all bring their ownparticular quality to this murder mystery. Of course there is a nastybit of murder and our detective just happens to be around to solve theapparently unsolvable case, Ustinov has made character his own and willalways be the definitive Piorot.Throughout the film there is a dry wit which a delight and a veryclever twist in the end. Not many films made this well nowadays.

(2013-05-15 00:55:10)

Over The Top

This is a delightful, witty, beautifully acted and musically scored film.Smith, Rigg, Ustinov and crew are in top form. It is a feast for the eyes and the ears.From the biting dialongue to the clever insertion of Cole Porters' namein the Inns Guest Book. Look for is as Poirot scans signatures in the log.The DVD is crisp and clear and the sound is an earful.

(2013-05-14 10:34:17)

We don't know

It's a story about a murder and it's so good. It's a worth seeing. Now we don't know what to write more and I'll say good BYE!!!

hammerspanner

(2013-05-14 07:25:12)

Best Ustinov Poirot

Worthwile for Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg although I wish the reviewer whocommented that Jane Birken played Diana Riggs' step daughter had got theirfacts right after taking the time to write the review. She played thefemale accomplace of the murderer played by Nicholas Clay. It was alsofilmed on the Spanish Islands not the Greek Islands. Just had to put therecord straight.

(2013-05-13 11:35:32)

"A little chorus lie ..........."

So, she kept her Sunny Side up and just see where it got her! Dun in - that's what someone [or they] did to 'er. Diana Rigg, lovely leggy Dame Diana Rigg was never more venomous than here, however to cut to the chase - she's vacationing at this "resort" run by an old Chorus-girl chum [maybe not] Maggie Smith, There are suspects a-plenty, and the cast reads like a "who's who". Silken and still seductive - James Mason, hunky - perhaps too hunky [those bathing trunks!] Nicholas Clay ["Excalibur" and "Night Digger" fame], Sylvia Miles [another great dame], Roddy McDowall - even Jane Birkin. Then there's "The Belgie" Poirot, flawlessly played by Peter Ustinov [previously teamed with Miss Smith in another great but unrelated fun caper "Hot Millions"].Lots of great red herrings [on and off the menu], add superb art direction, period costumes and a glorious setting, and this one's just the thing for a quiet Saturday afternoon when the kids are away.Dialogue is priceless [might make Coward blush though] - Maggie Smith's comment about Rigg's off-state attributes [something to do with 'high kicks'] and that great aside Sylvia Miles hurls at Roddy McDowall - straight from the hip!You don't need sunblock for this one - just a few Mad Englishmen and perhaps a small pet or two!

(2013-05-07 22:11:44)

Superb adaptation, sumptuous production, great acting

===Spoilers ahead!===One of the most fascinating aspects of the movie, at least for me personally, is that the screenplay was written by no other but Anthony Shaffer, the man who created a withering parody of the Christie-type of mystery in his brilliant play "Sleuth" (1970). But this is the best kind of parody, the one rooted in affection and admiration. Indeed, Mr Shaffer dedicated his play ''with sincere regard and affection'' to quite a list of literary sleuths, including Hercule Poirot.It is no wonder, then, that it's an excellent screenplay. One needs to read the novel to appreciate how creative Mr Shaffer's work really is. He has all but improved the original. On the one hand, he has ruthlessly cut some inane stuff (e.g. Linda's witchery stunt and suicide attempt) and some largely superfluous details (e.g. the whole of the British police, the smuggling subplot). The main plot is transferred from the slightly cloudy southwest coast of England to a much sunnier and more exotic Mediterranean island. Hercule Poirot alone is the Super Sleuth who single-handedly solves the mystery. Who needs inspectors, constables and other boring officials?On the other hand, Mr Shaffer has made the plot even more complicated and improbable. But that means it's also more exciting and more entertaining. Many subtle changes contribute to this, but above all the fact that virtually everybody does have a motive to kill Arlena. Miss Brewster is changed to the trashy biography Mr Brewster, the publication of whose book would not be allowed by the future victim. The Gardeners, though still a comic couple, have some sinister overtones and are potential suspects as well. Mr Blatt is far more involved due to a stolen diamond of epic size. The exposure of the murderers includes charming additional touches such as Latin references (did you know that if Verdi had been an Englishman his name would have been Joe Green?) and hidden diamonds in pipes that are never smoked.There are some regrettable omissions, such as for instance the fanatical Reverend and Major Barrie, but I guess these can't be helped. That said, there is some very clever merging of characters, for instance the hotel mistress and Rosamund; the brains of the latter are retained while the foolishness of the former is discarded, and to a great effect. The final scene with Poirot's great speech and the Redfurns near-escape is indeed far more effective than in the novel. He has some great lines that are not to be found on the pages. For example, the promising yet menacing ''All will be levealed'' (no misspelling can convey his French accent, alas) and the disarmingly boastful ''The murderers had not foreseen only one thing, and that is the presence on the island of Hercule Poirot.''Peter Ustinov nails the Belgian sleuth to perfection. I find it impossible to read the novel without seeing and hearing him. From the quaint charm of the speech (his French accent is stupendous!) to the disconcerting coldness of his stare, every detail fits the character swimmingly. He has a considerable gift for comedy and he brings out Poirot's mannerisms with an elegant insouciance that is unforgettable. Take for example his hilarious ''swimming scene'', one of the rare moments of relaxation in the movie, in which the famous sleuth bravely enters the sea until the water reaches all the way up to his knees...The really nice thing about the movie is that Peter Ustinov is surrounded by a superb supporting cast. Many great names here, all of them perfectly chosen. I dare anybody not to be amused by Roddy McDowell's perfectly gay (in every sense of the word) social butterfly, Colin Blakely's extremely funny Mr Blatt, or James Mason's speech how he (Mr Gardener) has a great motive and no alibi at all. Diana Rigg is a great Arlena, wildly sensuous and properly hateful, Maggie Smith is wonderful (except for her deadly white make-up) as the hotel mistress and old friend of Captain Marshall's (a very handsome Denis Quilley in the role). Nicolas Clay and Jane Birkin as the Redferns don't disappoint either.On the whole the movie is more like a comedy than the novel; the latter often has a kind of sinister atmosphere that's not comic at all.* But the screenplay is a marvelous adaptation full of improvements, the acting is outstanding to the last suspect, and the visual side (sets, costumes) is sumptuous and evocative. It's a huge fun to watch and it makes a most fascinating comparison with the novel.(Since I wrote the above I have also seen the 2001 TV episode with David Suchet as Poirot. It is drab and dull to the point of being unendurable. It is much closer to the novel, but that's just about its only ''virtue''. Suchet lacks completely Ustinov's charisma and he turns Poirot into a tedious pedant. The supporting cast is uniformly dismal. In short, despite sticking close to the novel, the movie really conveys neither the drama nor the humour of the original.)------------------------------------------------*Cf. the famous movie versions of The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon with the original novels of Chandler and Hammett, respectively. I'm not suggesting that Agatha Christie is ''hard-boiled'', but apparently adaptations of her novels tend to become more facetious on the screen also.)

(2013-05-07 12:25:09)

Ugly

Peter Ustinov's second performance as Hercule Poirot, producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin's third adaptation of a Christie novel, "Evil Under the Sun" is way too knowing for its own good. Instead of playing it straight, as in "Murder on the Orient Express" or, to a lesser extent "Death on the Nile," here all concerned seem to be more interested in proving their superiority to the material than in making it into a decent film. Many of the people involved are genuinely talented, but none of them should feel comfortable with this level of condescension.Once again we're in an enclosed situation (this time a luxury hotel on a small island) amongst the rich and famous as a murder occurs. Once again a group of well-known actors have fun doing little impersonations. Once again we follow Poirot as he sorts through the contradictory evidence to arrive at a solution to the crime. Unfortunately, instead of making the mystery interesting, the filmmakers keep winking at us and nudging us in the ribs with way too loud orchestrations of Cole Porter tunes and heavy handed double-takes from the actors. The film is so smugly certain of its cleverness, it never really gets around to proving it. There are a few pleasures. The Majorca locations are stunning and several of the performances are amusing in themselves. James Mason is always good, and he succeeds here partly by underplaying against the harpies screaming around him. One of them is played by Diana Rigg in a rare movie appearance. Her cat fights with Maggie Smith should make everyone run for cover. More than the scenery is left in tatters after they withdraw their claws, however. Their shenanigans help to turn Christie's novel into a festival for drag queens.Brittle, too self-conscious, "Evil Under the Sun" is moderately diverting, but increasingly tedious. The very last scene, in which the rich raise a glass of champagne in an ironic toast to the guilty, is downright ugly. It's as if the murderer's real crime is daring to mix with his social "betters." When immensely wealthy and successful filmmakers get this smug, it's time to call the police.