AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT:

THE HOLLOW

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Because of: adultery, language, violence, sexual content

Rated:

Country estates overflowing with weekend guests are the very best settings for murder mysteries. It's a morbid setting that Agatha Christie perfected in her long succession of novels about Hercule Poirot, her famous Belgian detective who uses his "little grey cells" to solve crimes. In The Hollow, our aristocratic sleuth (played as always with remarkable humor and poise by David Suchet) has taken a house in the country at the bidding of his friends. Away from the clamber and steam of London Poirot expects to be largely left alone. Alas, such is not his fate for he's invited to dine on the neighboring estate with absent minded Midge Hardcastle (Caroline Martin) and her guests. The gathering is largely mixed, a selection of old friends from Midge's younger years. Her son Edward (Jamie de Courcey) is in search of a wife and has his eye on beautiful Henrietta (Megan Dodds), who unfortunately is involved with a married man.

John Christow (Jonathan Cake) had quite the reputation of being a ladies' man. Currently married to a very innocent, sweet, and dull young woman named Gerta, and the father of two rambunctious children, he's been romancing Henrietta most evenings at her flat. Artistic but strangely withdrawn in her emotions, Henrietta doesn't want him to leave Gerta. She's not even sure if she wants their relationship to continue. The group is gathered for the weekend, where flames ignite, sparks fly, and murder will soon be rampant. The guests are at leisure learning to shoot and ride, while being entertained with Hercule Poirot's funny little absurdities over the dinner table. Henrietta finds the sleuth fascinating and challenges his little grey cells, asking if he's ever yet been outsmarted by a criminal. Believing herself cleverer than he, she isn't prepared for the full consequences of her impetuous challenge. The group is interrupted by the appearance of motion picture actress Veronica Cray (Lysette Anthony), who just happened to run out of matches.

Sent to walk her home, John doesn't return until early the following morning -- observed by both Henrietta and his wife. The next morning after a frightful row with the motion picture actress, he's found dead next to the swimming pool. Poirot comes upon the scene just in time to observe Gerta standing over her husband's body holding a revolver. In the ensuing chaos the police target her as the prime suspect, but Poirot believes something more devious is afoot. There are more motives than you can count, too many suspects to write anyone off, and behind it all is the nagging belief that he's missed something at the murder scene. As you might imagine, the case becomes complicated and demands his greatest ingenuity to solve. It's one of the better novel adaptations and stays predominantly true to the text. The casting was well done and involves minor but significant roles for two long-time BBC thespians, Edward Hardwicke (you'll remember him as Dr. Watson to Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes) and James Fox. I was also highly impressed with Megan Dodds, whose subtle but poignant performances makes us forget that she was so beastly to Drew Barrymore in Ever After.

The very best thing about this film is Poirot and his maddening habits of cleanliness. It's amusing to see him lay down a handkerchief on an outside bench before being seated, or scrub his hands mercilessly after destroying a clay statue. He also delivers some fantastic one-liners. The biggest problem here is the random paths of the film. It fails to clear everything up in the end, leaving numerous loose threads, and is often difficult to follow. We know all the characters but don't necessarily care about what happens to any of them. I was also shocked that, for a TVPG rating, the film included an explicit sex scene in the last fifteen minutes. John and Veronica are shown fornicating against a wall with sound effects and movement. The flashback is brief but graphic. There are numerous indications of adultery, and conversation centers around it often. Women talk about being mistresses. Language is present in common terms (bloody, etc) although women refer to one another as b*tches. A man is shot and killed. His blood spills into the pool. Someone else dies from taking arsenic.

Aside from the content the movie isn't all that spectacular. It's well acted and intricate enough to amuse most audiences but is sadly unfulfilling. You depart with a sense of sorrow, which may be a good thing in the long run. Whatever murder is, murder it remains.

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