AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE

THE MOVING FINGER

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: brief immorality

Rated:

The small town of Lymstock seems the idyllic place for Jerry Burton (James D'Arcy) to recover after his attempted suicide. Waking one morning without ambition or reason to live, he attempted to drive his motorcycle off the road, with semi-crippling effect. His sister Joanna (Emilia Fox) is resolved to seeing him put to rights, little realizing that their appearance in the village will be in the midst of a series of malicious letters delivered to local townspeople. It has already presumably caused one death, that of a colonel apparently unable to face the humiliation the envelope delivered. The notes are all scandalous and the letters are cut out of a book, with no fingerprints or identifying marks to be found.

Joanna and Jerry are relatively unperturbed by the letter that arrives on their doorstep not too long after they take possession of a summer house. Quite the opposite, in fact, Joanna finds it amusing that they would be so readily assaulted with rumors and suspicions. While she pursues an unlikely relationship with the local doctor (Sean Pertwee), her brother befriends the tomboyish Megan (Talulah Riley), who comes to stay with them after the unexpected death of her mother. Most believe it was suicide, the result of a malicious note that implies she may have been having an affair, but visiting Lymstock is the intelligent but unassuming Miss Marple (Geraldine McEwan), who suspects something far more mysterious may be transpiring. Fingers point in all directions, for the police inspector has no short of suspects, and Jerry has become fascinated in solving the crime.

Foremost in his mind is the beautiful governess at the Hunter household (Kelly Brook), but before the end of the summer, more than one murder will have been committed. The result is quite an excellent film that keeps you guessing and does not stray too far from the original source material. Some changes were made here and there but for the most part it is as Agatha Christie wrote it. There are so many familiar faces that it's something of a joyful experience to attempt to recognize them, and one of my particular favorite things about it is its understated romance between two of the characters. It comes on so sweetly and innocently that you cannot help loving them for it. In that respect, it's a bit different from other films in the series, namely that most of the story revolves around Jerry's perspective rather than that of Miss Marple. She becomes a mysterious figure in of herself, which makes it all the more intriguing as we attempt to discern what she already suspects.

The opening scene does have Jerry waking up in bed with a woman, implying that he has had a long succession of unsuccessful love affairs, but apart from that the content is hardly worth mentioning. There are several uses of the offensive term "b**ch," both in written and audio references. The letters sent to just about everyone in town contain similar language, such as "whore" or "slut." A flashback shows a woman being struck over the head, then someone wiping blood off a sharp instrument. The police discuss the method of the murder. Another figure is drugged and her head inserted into an oven, hoping that she will inhale the gas. Rumors fly around about illegitimate children and adulterous affairs. 

The outcome is very sweet and I liked the style of filmmaking. The approach to the material was fresh and from a new perspective, which lent a charm to the country parish of Lymstock, where nothing is ever quite what it seems.