This is one of my favourite films, and not just because I am a fan of Dame Agatha's books. The actors are wonderful: Vanessa Redgrave as Agatha herself, Timothy Dalton as her rotter husband (Christie sowed clues about his ugly personality through her later books and plays), the journalist in his WWI greatcoat, the guests and billiard-players at the hotel, even the troupe of entertainers in the park. Dustin Hoffman is great, and his falling for Agatha is quite believable. I love it when he recites from the Spoon River Anthology when he meets her in a grim Victorian graveyard (great atmosphere and use of location). The evocation of period is spot on: all the right architecture, clothes, hats and manners. There's plenty of humour - eg when the journo is whisked away from his steak and chips, and Redgrave and Hoffman dance together. It's a complex story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. There have recently been some very lame programmes about the author on British television. Forget them, and watch this film.
