Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Coventry Yours truly is a real Agatha Christie junkie! I think she was one of the most brilliantly intelligent persons who ever lived, and if she had been any sexier my room would probably be filled with pictures of her! I read many of her novels and short stories, and evidently I watched a lot of films (acclaimed classics as well as cheap rip- offs), TV- series and mini-series that were adapted from her works. Until now I've always been reluctant to check out the quartet of movies that are directed by George Pollock and star Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple, simply because they look too much like out-and-out comedies rather than suspenseful and atmospheric murder mysteries. I never really considered Miss Marple to be a "funny" kind of protagonist. She's peculiar, eccentric, conservative, old-fashioned and maybe even somewhat asocial, but she never makes jokes or witty remarks. I certainly am not a sourpuss, but the idea of this introvert but wise elderly lady being depicted as a cartoonesque and nosy old hag didn't appeal to me at all. Since I was able to purchase the 4-DVD box at a reasonably cheap price, and since I'm always running out of movies to watch anyway, I'll be giving them a chance after all. Thus far I can't judge the other three (they look even more slapstick, in fact) but "Murder She Said" at least still tries to be a convoluted and sinister mystery-tale. Rutherford's Miss Marple is definitely more boisterous, cocky and intrusive than the sweet little lady I know from the book stories, but she undeniably becomes one with the character and gives away a stellar performance. When she takes a train back home to her cozy little village, she witnesses through the window of another train how a young woman is strangled by an unseen assailant. Miss Marple notifies the authorities, but they come back to her with the statement that a dead body hasn't been found and that no woman has been reported missing. Offended by the detective's remark that she probably imagined the whole thing, Miss Marple starts her own private investigation that brings her to the house of the obnoxious patriarch Ackenthorpe. If the woman's body was thrown from the train, than it must have been recovered and hidden on the estate. Miss Marple applies for a job as housekeeper and immediately discovers there's a tricky family feud going on. "Murder, She Said" isn't very effective as a whodunit; as we're giving very few clues to guess along, but the screenplay is compelling and new and exciting twists (like additional murders or discoveries on the estate) occur at regular intervals. George Pollock's direction here is at least less mechanical here than in the "Ten Little Indians" adaptation that he made one year later and there's a good use of filming locations, decors and scenery. Mrs. Rutherford obviously carries the entire film on her own, but she also receives good support from several great actors, like Arthur Kennedy and James Robertson Justice.

MattyGibbs Murder she said is a Miss Marple mystery featuring surely the best Miss Marple Margaret Rutherford. Although the plot is a bit pedestrian, a superb cast manages to keep the film entertaining. There is some wonderful interplay between Rutherford's Miss Marple and the bombastic Ackenthorpe played brilliantly by James Robertson Justice. The film keeps you guessing as the body count increases although there is a strange lack of tension which makes this less enjoyable than maybe it should have been. Keep a look out for a small cameo from British TV legend Richard Briers.I enjoyed this film but this is more to do with the fine cast than the actual script. Nevertheless it is worth watching for lovers of old British film.

gridoon2018 "4:50 From Paddington" is probably one of Agatha Christie's best Miss Marple stories, with lots of interesting & diverse characters, and a fairly simple but very clever misdirection at its center. Having seen the other two filmed versions of this story (the 2004 one with Geraldine McEwan is undoubtedly one of the high points of that series), this one held few surprises for me, though it must be said that, for all its comedic overtones, it follows the story quite closely (apart from eliminating Marple's friend, who witnesses the crime, and Marple's niece, who goes undercover as a housekeeper to investigate it - Marple herself assumes these roles here!) and it plays the serious moments seriously; the ending, an one-on-one between Marple and the killer, is quite effective. Margaret Rutherford is utterly delightful as Miss Marple and she's blessed with a solid supporting cast, but I would like to have seen the fascinating family dynamics of this tale explored a little more. The music theme is fantastic. *** out of 4.

ShadeGrenade Agatha Christie purists generally hate the 1960's 'Miss Marple' movies starring the sublime Margaret Rutherford - indeed the author was not too fond of them either - but they undeniably are great entertainment ( ideal for viewing on a wet Sunday afternoon ). The first - 'Murder She Said' - opens with Marple boarding a train in London. En route back to the country village of Milchester, she sees a woman on a passing locomotive being strangled. The train guard ( Peter Butterworth ) thinks she is dotty. Inspector Craddock ( Charles Tingwell ) finds no evidence, so that seems to be that. With her nervous librarian friend Mr.Stringer ( Stringer Davis, Rutherford's real-life husband ) in tow, Miss Marple decides to check out the railway line. Evidence leads to the home of Mr.Ackenthorpe ( James Robertson Justice ), a thoroughly disagreeable bedridden old gent suffering from some unknown condition, so she takes a job as maid...The main reason why these films are so good is Rutherford herself, playing 'Marple' like a geriatric Sherlock Holmes with the sex reversed. Having spent her life avidly reading detective fiction, when the opportunity to solve a murder comes her way the eccentric spinster grabs it with both hands. Interviewed for the '70's children's show 'Clapperboard', composer Ron Goodwin claimed he wrote that wonderfully jaunty theme tune with Rutherford in mind, rather than Marple. In each of the films, she was given a strong male lead to play off against, here ( as noted earlier ) its James Robertson Justice, who starts out by hating Marple but by the story's end is so taken by her he proposes marriage. Other familiar faces include Thorley Walters, a fresh-faced Richard Briers, Conrad Phillips, Muriel Pavlow, Ronald Howard, and Arthur Kennedy. Ronnie Raymond as 'Alexander', a whining brat who makes you pray he is next on the killer's list. All four films were directed by George Pollock, who later made an all-star adaptation of Christie's 'Ten Little Indians'. It was recently announced that Disney is to make a new 'Marple' movie starring 42-year old Jennifer Garner. Oh dear. I bet they throw in a few wisecracking, singing mice for good measure!