My thoughts about movies and TV shows I've been watching

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Sunday, August 19, 2018

An Agatha Christie adaptation that's pretty good except for the title

The worst thing about the Agatha Christie 3-part adaptation on Prime is its title; I've watched all 3 episodes over past 3 nights and honestly can never remember the ridiculously abstract title and am looking it up now, it's: Ordeal by Innocence. OK, got it. Title aside, it's a fun and intriguing series w/ the well-known Christie traits of a plot like clockwork (in fact the gears of a huge timepiece are a recurring motif, signaling a flash-back); each of the 10 or so characters is a potential subject in the murder of the wealthy Lady Argyll, each has a motive and in a fun way we're guessing throughout and trying to figure out which one clobbered Lady A to death: Any of her 5 (all adopted) children, her husband, his new wife-to-be, the strange visitor who shows up out of nowhere years after the murder, the corrupt attorney, the maid, am I leaving anyone out? The series has the high production values of practically all British imports; the cast is largely unknown (to me) although I think it had some Downton alums (doesn't every British show?) plus Bill Nighy as the widower. As w/ all Christie works, or so I have heard, every element is accounted for; readers/viewers are never left wondering: But what about this? that? I all makes sense - even if, on some level, it's all pretty much beyond the pale. But worth watching as a mind-teaser and for the fun of the guessing game. (For the record, I guessed wrong - and as always once it's know we think Why didn't I figure that out?)

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