Murder With Mirrors
by Dick Lowry
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Product details
Actor: Bette Davis, Helen Hayes, John Mills, Leo McKern, Liane LanglandDirector: Dick Lowry
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, NTSC
Running Time: 96 minutes
Release Date: 1999-05-04
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Studio: Warner Home Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Murder With Mirrors
Movie Review: Helen Hayes the great Miss Jane Marples
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved watching this movie "Murder with Mirrors" over and over....this tv movie of Agatha Christie was superb very enjoyable performances by great actors Helen Hayes, Bette Davis, Leo McKern, Frances De La Tour, John Mills, Dorothy Tutin, Liane Langand, James Coombes and John Laughlin. I enjoyed Frances performance as the housekeeper Mrs. Bellaver. The chemistry between Miss Marple (Helen Hayes) and Inspector (Leo Mckern) was superb as a comedy team guessing the manor house murders.Movie Review: Murder With Mirrors
Summary: 5 Stars
Bette Davis and Helen Hayes, 2 of the greatest ladies of the American Cinema united for the first time in a movie. People may wonder why Helen Hayes who is older than Bette Davis seems to have more zip than Miss Davis. The reasn was that Miss Davis was ill during filming of the film.
No woman in all of England has a reputation quite like that of Miss Jane Marple. Scotland Yard knows her well - an infuriating meddler, but one who is insightful and infinitely useful when it comes to an investigation. An old friend asks Miss Marple to look in on his stepmother, Carrie Louise Serrocold, at her palatial estate on the outskirts of London. Someone may be poisoning the ageing lady of the manor and it appears everyone but her dutiful husband has a motive - so an engaging twist-filled case of country house intrigue unfolds.
Movie Review: Well Mounted Agatha Christie Mystery Starring Veterans Helen Hayes And Bette Davis
Summary: 4 Stars
Agatha Christie has enjoyed a long period of popularity with Filmmakers with her novels always proving popular sources for some very entertaining films. When one's mind conjures up memories of the classic "Murder on the Orient Express", or "Death on the Nile", as great film adaptations of her novels, "Murder with Mirrors", can be seen as possibly one of the more minor made-for-television film efforts to come from one of her works. Despite this minor status and a not totally exciting mystery story this effort has been given an "A", treatment in every department with beautiful settings, a first rate cast of both English and American actors, and enough whodunnit mystery included to keep most Agatha Christie lovers satisfied. The teaming of Hollywood veterans Helen Hayes and Bette Davis is the film's main focus point and despite the well known tension between the two during filming, they team well here despite Davis being very frail and ravaged looking due to the chronic health problems she encountered just prior to filming. She is sadly a shadow of her former dramatic self however her presense here is still very central to the main action. Christie purists may object to Helen Hayes taking on this very English role perhaps immortalised best by Joan Hickson however she brings her usual likeable personality to the character that is most enjoyable.
The story opens as we see Jane Marple (Helen Hayes), being called by the stepson (John Woodvine), of her old friend Carrie Louise Serrocold (Bette Davis). Christian is very concerned about her welfare and asks Miss Marple to pay her a visit at her country estate, Stonygate. Bewilderd by what is actually wrong Miss Marple travels down to visit her friend where she is introduced to the many colourful characters in Carrie Louise's family. Chief among them are Carrie Louise's adoring new husband Lewis Serrocold (John Mills), her bitter widowed daughter Mildred (Dorothy Tutin), and her granddaughter Gina (Liane Langand). Each of these family members seems to have their own problems with Gina involved in a complicated romantic triangle involving her American husband Wally (John Laughlin), and flashy Englishman Steven Restarick (James Coombes). Christian also arrives and it is revealed to Jane that it is feared that someone is trying to slowly poison Carrie Louise. The pressing question is of course who is responsible and when and where are they going to strike. Jane has a real mystery on her hands as it seems most of the family have some kind of a motive. Could it be Carrie Louise's overly efficient nurse Miss Bellaver (Franced de La Tour), who seems strangely preoccupied with her medication? Or is it Gina's gun happy disgruntled husband, or indeed the strange young man who works on the estate (Tim Roth), who claims Lewis is his real father. Indeed it could also be just as easily Carrie Louise's neglected daughter? Soon after arriving Christian is found mysteriously murdered and Scotland Yard in the form of gruff Inspector Curry (Leo McKern), is called in to investigate. Locking horns with the busy body Jane Marple the two form an unlikely alliance in order to track down the killer together. As their investigation deepens tradegy strikes when Edgar is drowned and Jane also finds her own life endangered as twice her life is put in danger and many red herrings seem to be thrown into her path to head her off from finding the real killer. However Jane's reputation as an excellent amateur sleuth was not earned lightly and in the final round up of all the likely suspects Jane manages to pick out the highly unlikely real murderer neatly wrapping up the case under the frustrated eyes of the inspector who had hoped to solve it himself.
Despite "Murder With Mirrors", being considered a minor work by the queen of murder mystery writing, the main objections raised against the film is the up dating of the story to a 1980's setting and the strange mixture of nationalities in the main cast all playing British. Indeed it is easy to almost forget that this is an Agatha Christie story considering its general look and feel. While it certainly is a minor mystery work with a fairly obvious solution it does have many enjoyable qualities that make the film worth viewing. The great Helen Hayes in what would prove to be her last on screen performance I feel makes a perfectly good Miss Marple despite her American origin and while she is no replacement for the legendary Margaret Rutherford or Joan Hickson in the role she makes the role her own and has in particular a wonderful chemistry with Leo McKern in their very enjoyable scenes together where they match wits and exchange barbs while trying to solve the murder. Of course the greatest shock is in seeing how much illness and old age had by this time ravaged the great Bette Davis and she plays a most passive and frail character here which is light years away from the power house Davis we all have grown accustomed to seeing on screen. Her character really is a walking skeleton and it's sad to contrast the much more agile and spunky Helen Hayes with this fast fading Hollywood legend in their scenes together. The main supporting cast is adequate for this type of "murder in a country house", type of story. The exception of course is the terrific Leo Mckern as the frustrated Inspector trying to keep one step ahead of Miss Marple in solving the murder. Playing a role very similiar to his most famous character of Rumpold of the Bailey McKern makes a delightful sleuth who is second guessed every time by the seemingly fuddy Miss Marple. These pair of characters bring the story to life and really dont leave many opportunities for fine performers such as Sir. John Mills, Dorothy Tutin and Anton Rodgers to steal scenes from them. "Murder With Mirrors", while definately lacking in the usual Agatha Christie atmosphere is however still very rich in high production values with the on location shooting at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire giving the film an unexpectedly rich and opulent look unusual in television movies such as this. What has been retained from the expected approach that Agatha Christie would take in such a story are the many enjoyable red herrings thrown in the path of the viewer in the lead up to the expected climax when all the main characters assemble and the killer is finally revealed. This section of "Murder With Mirrors", was done very well with predictably just about every main character having a motive.
When one is asked to recall a classic Agatha Christie movie thoughts of course automatically go to efforts such as "Murder on the Orient Express", and it is almost certain that "Murder With Mirrors", would never rate very highly on the lists of any Christie enthusiast. It is however an enjoyable little effort worth spending some time with. Christie purists have of course objected to the American Helen Hayes playing such a icon of British detective fiction as Miss Marple, however she does well in the part bringing just the right elements of daffy nosiness, sly cunning, and detective know how, to make the character her own in this film. For an enjoyable couple of hours mystery lovers should check out "Murder With Mirrors", with its red herrings and veteran cast of acting legends for a good but not great viewing experience.
Movie Review: Helen Hayes as Miss Marple
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted to have a movie that had Helen Hayes in it because I always loved her as an actress, (I used to watch a lot of 40's movies). I love murder mysteries. This one was/is a relic. She was absolutely delightful. I would recommend this VHS to anyone who loves Helen Hayes. However, I would have liked the movie better if they had left Bette Davis out. She was pathetic. Katherine Hepburn did a better job in her last movie before she died (and she was indeed very sick).
Movie Review: Not as spellbinding as the Joan Hickson version
Summary: 3 Stars
This is an entertaining performance for the Agatha Christie fan, with a taleneted lead and supporting cast that includes Helen Hayes, Bette Davis, and Tim Roth. I, however, recommend the BBC version of this film entitled They Do It With Mirrors, starring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. The story is more tightly woven, with what I found to be more interesting characterizations of some of the lead characters, particularly Miss Marple's old friend and main character Carrie Louise. The drama and intensity of the plot holds me much closer in that version as well, as here Miss Marple seems portrayed as almost fragile and frightened of some of the events surrounding her. Still, this is a definite addition to the collection of any die-hard Christie fan.
Summary of Murder With Mirrors
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple attempts to uncover the villain who'd commit murder to steal her dear old friend's family home.Whodunnit? Video
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