If the alterations to Agatha Christie's novel were only minor in nature, much of the criticism leveled at THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY would vanish, for it's a handsomely produced version of the story starring GERALDINE McEWAN as the inquisitive Miss Jane Marple.
At least for most of the running time, this sticks pretty closely to the Christie tale about the body of a young girl being found in Colonel Bantry's (JAMES FOX) library, a woman who turns out to be a dancer from a high class hotel but with no obvious attachment to the Bantry household. Dolly Bantry (JOANNA LUMLEY), the colonel's daughter, invites Jane to play sleuth and investigate the case with her.
It's another case where nothing is what it seems when the convoluted plot is finally unraveled and this is where the scriptwriters got into trouble by applying a twist to the identity of a murderous couple that was not present in the book. However, even with this flaw, the story makes a diverting viewing experience.
Not that there aren't other flaws. The acting is all a little over the top, including such seasoned performers as SIMON CALLOW and JAMES FOX, while JACK DAVENPORT does an interesting job as Superintendent Harper. Davenport is an actor who was so brilliant in THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.
No expense has been spared to give the production the look of an expensive movie and updating the story to the '50s does no real harm (the novel was written in the early '40s).
I'm not a fan of GERALDINE McEWAN's interpretation of Miss Marple, too light-headed and never giving the appearance of the deep thinking that supposedly goes on below the surface.
Summing up: Not as bad as some of the comments insist, and certainly worth watching for the cast alone.
At least for most of the running time, this sticks pretty closely to the Christie tale about the body of a young girl being found in Colonel Bantry's (JAMES FOX) library, a woman who turns out to be a dancer from a high class hotel but with no obvious attachment to the Bantry household. Dolly Bantry (JOANNA LUMLEY), the colonel's daughter, invites Jane to play sleuth and investigate the case with her.
It's another case where nothing is what it seems when the convoluted plot is finally unraveled and this is where the scriptwriters got into trouble by applying a twist to the identity of a murderous couple that was not present in the book. However, even with this flaw, the story makes a diverting viewing experience.
Not that there aren't other flaws. The acting is all a little over the top, including such seasoned performers as SIMON CALLOW and JAMES FOX, while JACK DAVENPORT does an interesting job as Superintendent Harper. Davenport is an actor who was so brilliant in THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.
No expense has been spared to give the production the look of an expensive movie and updating the story to the '50s does no real harm (the novel was written in the early '40s).
I'm not a fan of GERALDINE McEWAN's interpretation of Miss Marple, too light-headed and never giving the appearance of the deep thinking that supposedly goes on below the surface.
Summing up: Not as bad as some of the comments insist, and certainly worth watching for the cast alone.