"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" (2009) Review

"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" (2009) Review

While the producers of "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT" seemed to regard the 1930s as the "golden age" of Hercule Poirot mysteries, I get the feeling that the producers for both "MISS MARPLE" and the recent "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE"regard the 1950s in a similar manner for those stories featuring Miss Jane Marple. As a fervent reader of Christie's novels, I must admit that I believe most of the best Jane Marple mysteries had been published during the 1950s and the first half of the 1960s. One of those mysteries was the 1953 novel, "A Pocket Full of Rye".

The novel was first adapted into a television movie in the mid-1980s, which starred Joan Hickson. Another television adaptation aired on ITV some twenty-four-and-a-half years later, starring Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple. "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" centered around the mysterious death of a London businessman named Rex Fortescue. After drinking his morning tea at his office, the businessman dies suddenly, attracting the attention of the police in the form of Inspector Neele. Neele and his men discover rye grain in the dead man's pocket and that he had died from taxine, an alkaloid poison obtained from the leaves or berries of the yew tree. Neele realizes that Fortescue may have been initially poisoned at home due to presence of yew trees at the latter's country home and the time it took for the poison to work.

Fortescue's second and much younger wife, Adele, becomes the main suspect, due to her affair with a golf instructor at a nearby resort named Vivian Dubois. However, Adele is murdered, while drinking tea laced with cyanide. On the same day, a third victim is found in the garden, all tangled in the clothesline and with a peg on her nose. She was a maid named Gladys, who used to work for Jane Marple. When Gladys and Adele's murders are reported in the media, Miss Marple pays a visit to the Fortescue home to learn what happened to Gladys. Miss Marple informs Inspector Neele that she believes the three murders adhered to the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence", which may have something to do with one of Rex Fortescue's old dealings - the Blackbird Mine in Kenya, over which he was suspected of having killed his partner, MacKenzie in order to swindle it from the latter's family. However, an investigation of Fortescue's financial holdings and family connections reveal the possibility of other motives, as the following list of suspects would attest:

*Percival Fortescue - Rex's older son, who was worried over the financier's erratic handling of the family business
*Jennifer Fortescue - Percival's wife, who disliked her father-in-law
*Lance Fortescue - Rex's younger son, a former embezzler who had arrived home from overseas on the day of Adele and Gladys' murders
*Patricia Fortescue - Lance's aristocratic wife, who had been unlucky with her past two husbands
*Elaine Fortescue - Rex's only daughter, who resented his opposition to her romance with a schoolteacher
*Gerald Wright - Elaine's fiancé, a schoolteacher who resented Rex's hostile attitude toward him
*Mary Dove - the Fortescues' efficient housekeeper, who harbored a few secrets in her past
*Vivian Dubois - Adele's lover and professional golf instructor
*Mrs. MacKenzie - the slightly senile widow of Rex's former partner, who urged her children to seek revenge against the financier

I honestly did not know how I would view "A POCKET FULL OF RYE". To my surprise, I enjoyed it very much . . . aside from a few scenes that I felt were out of place. The movie turned out to be a well-paced mystery that featured some solid acting from the cast. Although not completely faithful to Christie's novel, the television movie proved to be a little more faithful, thanks to screenwriter Kevin Elyot and director Charlie Palmer. The character of Miss Henderson, Rex's religious sister-in-law from his first marriage, was deleted from this production. And I did not miss her. I am also very grateful that Elyot and Palmer stuck to the novel's original ending and avoided a ridiculous chase sequence that seemed to mar the 1985 adaptation. Although there was nothing really dramatic about the story's final scene, it projected an air of justice finally achieved that I found particularly satisfying, thanks to Julia McKenzie's performance.

I was also impressed by the movie's production values. One, production designer Jeff Tessler and his crew did a top-notch job of re-creating the movie's mid-1950s setting. I should add . . . "as usual". After all, Tessler worked as production designer for the "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE" series since it debuted back in 2004. "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" proved to be the first of four episodes for the series, in which she served as costume designer. Her work in this film provided audiences with the color and top-notch skill in which she created costumes for that particular time period. Another veteran of the "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" was cinematographer Cinders Forshaw, whose sharp and colorful photography proved to be one of the hallmarks of the series. One thing I cannot deny about "A POCKET FULL OF RYE", it is damn beautiful to look at.

Did I have any problems with the movie? Well . . . yes. A few. Actually, I have only one major problem with the production . . . namely the addition of sexual situations in at least two or three scenes in the film. I am not a prude. Trust me, I am not. But . . . I found the sexual scenes featured in "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" out of place. Yes, the Christie novels have featured the topic of sex in many variations - including adultery, incest and homosexuality. And I have seen on-screen sex in one other production - namely 1965's "TEN LITTLE INDIANS" and 2004's "DEATH ON THE NILE". I have never seen "TEN LITTLE INDIANS". But the sex featured in "DEATH ON THE NILE" seemed so minimalized. I can say otherwise about "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" and the performers involved were clothed. But the way Palmer shot the scenes seemed so in-your-face. I can tolerate the scene featuring Adele Fortescue and Vivian Dubois. Personally, I thought their sex scene pretty much fit the narrative and confirmed (in a rather ham fisted manner) that the pair was involved in an affair. But the sex scenes featuring Lance and Patricia Fortescue seemed just as ham fisted. Even worse, I could not see how they served the narrative. The scene (or scenes) seemed to come out of no where.

I can certainly state that I had no problems with the performances in this production. Well, I had a problem with one performance. Julia McKenzie was excellent as soft-spoken Jane Marple, who seemed very determined to learn the murderer's identity, due to her past with one of the victims. I can also say the same about Matthew MacFadyen's performance, which struck me as intelligent, yet deliciously sardonic as Inspector Neele. I also enjoyed Helen Baxendale's subtle performance as the quiet, yet observant housekeeper, Mary Dove. On the other hand, Rupert Graves gave an exuberant and very entertaining portrayal of the Fortescue family's black sheep, Lance. And he clicked very well with actress Lucy Cohu, who gave a charming performance as Lance's wife, Patricia. Another interesting performance came from Liz White, who portrayed Rex Fortescue's enigmatic daughter-in-law, Jennifer. Actually, I believe she gave one of the better performances in the movie. Another first-rate performance came from Anna Madeley, who portrayed Rex's shallow and adulterous wife, Adele. 

I really enjoyed Joseph Beattie's portrayal of Adele's sexy, yet desperate lover, Vivian Dubois. And Ben Miles gave a subtle, yet complex performance as Rex's pragmatic older son, Percival. Kenneth Cranham, Laura Haddock and Prunella Scales gave memorable performances as Rex Fortescue, his secretary, Miss Grosvenor and Mrs. MacKenzie. It seemed a pity they were not on the screen long enough for me to truly enjoy their performances. "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" also featured solid performances from Hattie Morahan, Chris Larkin, Ken Campbell, Wendy Richards and Rose Heiney.

"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" proved to be an entertaining movie and a worthy adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1953 novel. Along with a fine cast led by Julia McKenzie, I thought director Charlie Palmer and screenwriter Kevin Elyot handled the adaptation very well, aside from the sex scenes that struck me as unnecessary. Despite that . . . setback, I still managed to enjoy the movie.

"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" (2009) Image Gallery

Below are images from "A POCKET FULL OF RYE", the 2009 adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1953 novel. The television movie starred Julia McKenzie as Miss Jane Marple: 


"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" (2009) Image Gallery

"ANGELS & INSECTS" (1995) Review

"ANGELS & INSECTS" (1995) Review

I never thought I would come around to writing this review. I have seen the 1995 movie, "ANGELS & INSECTS" a good number of times during the past five years. Yet, I never got around to posting a review of this movie, until recently. Why? I have not the foggiest idea. Nor do I have any idea why I had finally decided to write that review. 

Based upon A.S. Byatt's 1992 novella called "Morpho Eugenia", "ANGELS & INSECTS" tells the story of a poor naturalist named William Adamson, who returns home to Victorian England after having spent years studying the natural wildlife - especially insects - in the Amazon Basin. Despite losing all of his possession during a shipwreck, he manages to befriend a baronet named Sir Harald Alabaster, who is also an amateur insect collector and botanist. The latter hires William to catalog his specimen collection and assist his younger children's governess the natural sciences.

William eventually falls for Sir Harald's oldest daughter, Eugenia, who is mourning the suicide of her fiance. Both of them eventually become emotionally involved and decide to marry. Much to William's surprise, both Sir Harald and Lady Alabaster seem supportive of the match. The only member of the Alabaster family who is against their upcoming wedding is Sir Harald's eldest child, the arrogant Edgar. Not only is the latter close to Eugenia, he believes that William is unworthy of his sister's hand, due to having a working-class background. The marriage between William and Eugenia seemed to be a happily lustful one that produces five children (among them two sets of twins). But Eugenia's hot and cold control over their sex life, a constantly hostile Edgar, William's growing friendship to Lady Alabaster's companion Matilda "Matty" Crompton, and William's own disenchantment over his role as Sir Harald's official assistant brings their marriage to a head after several years.

The film adaptation of Byatt's novella seemed to be the brainchild of Philip and Belinda Haas. Both worked on the film's screenplay, while Philip also served as the film's director and Belinda served as both co-producer (there are three others) and film editor. From my perusal of many period drama blogs, I get the feeling that "ANGELS & INSECTS" is not very popular with many of the genre's fans. On the other hand, many literary and film critics seemed to have a very high regard for it. Despite my love for the usual romantic costume drama, I must admit that my opinions of the 1995 film falls with the latter group. It is simply too well made and too fascinating for me to overlook. 

There were times I could not tell whether "ANGELS AND INSECTS" is some look at the age of Victorian science exploration, the close study of an upper-class 19th century family, or a lurid tale morality. Now that I realize it, the movie is probably an amalgamation of them all, wrapped around this view on Darwinism and breeding - in regard to both the insect world and humans. The topic of breeding seemed to seep into the screenplay in many scenes. Some of them come to mind - like Sir Harald and Edgar's debate on the breeding of horses and other animals; William and Eugenia's second encounter with moths in the manor's conservatory; Sir Harald's despairing rant on his declining usefulness within his own household; the reason behind Edgar's hostility toward William; and the visual comparisons between the bees and the inhabitants of the Alabaster estate, with Lady Alabaster serving as some metaphor for an aging Queen bee on her last legs. The metaphor of the Queen bee is extended further into Eugenia. Not only does she assume her mother's role as mistress of the house following the latter's death; but like Lady Alabaster before her, gives birth to a growing number of blond-haired children. If a person has never seen "ANGELS & INSECTS" before, he or she could follow both the script and cinematographer Bernard Zitzerman's shots carefully to detect the clues that hint the cloistered degeneracy that seemed to unconsciously permeate the Alabaster household.

I cannot deny that "ANGELS AND INSECTS" is a gorgeous film to behold. Philip and Belinda Haas, along with the film's other producers did an excellent job in creating a visually stunning film with a bold and colorful look. Cinematographer Bernard Zitzermann, along with production designer Jennifer Kernke and Alison Riva's art direction provided great contributions to the film's visual style. But in my opinion, Paul Brown's Academy Award nominated costume designs not only conveyed the film's theme and colorful visual style more than anything else, but also properly reflected the fashion styles of the early 1860s for women - including the growing penchant for deep, solid colors - as shown below:

 

Adding to the movie's rich atmosphere was Alexander Balanescu's memorable score. I thought the composer did an excellent job of reflecting both the movie's elegant setting and its passionate, yet lurid story.

As much as I enjoyed and admired "ANGELS & INSECTS", I believe it had its flaws. I understand why Philip Haas had opened the movie with shots of William Adamson socializing with inhabitants of the Amazonian jungle, juxtaposing with the Alabaster ball given in his honor. Is it just me or did Haas use white - probably British - actors to portray Amazonian natives? I hope I am wrong, but I fear otherwise. I also feel that the movie was marred by a slow pacing that nearly crawled to a halt. I cannot help but wonder if Haas felt insecure by the project he and his wife had embarked upon, considering that "ANGELS & INSECTS" was his second motion picture after many years as a documentarian. Or perhaps he got caught up in his own roots as a documentarian, due to his heavy emphasis on the natural world being studied by William, Matty and the younger Alabaster children. In a way, I have to thank Balanescu's score for keeping me awake during those scenes that seemed to drag.

I cannot deny that the movie featured some top-notch and subtle performances. Mark Rylance, who has a sterling reputation as a stage actor, gave such a quiet and superb performance that I hope his reputation has extended to film. Kristin Scott-Thomas was equally superb as the Matty Crompton, Lady Alabaster's very observant companion, who shared William's interests in natural sciences. I have no idea what reputation Patsy Kensit has as an actress, but I certainly believe she gave an excellent performance as William's beautiful and upper-class wife, Eugenia Alabaster, whose hot and cold attitude toward her husband kept him puzzled. Jeremy Kemp gave one of his more complex and entertaining performances as William's father-in-law, the amateur scientist Sir Harald Alabaster. Douglas Henshall had a difficult job in portraying the bullying Edgar Alabaster, who seemed to view William as both beneath contempt and something of a threat to his views of the world. And he gave a very good performance in the end. The movie also featured solid performances from the likes of Anna Massey, Saskia Wickham, Chris Larkin, Clare Redman and Annette Badlands.

Some fans of period drama might be taken aback by the graphic sexuality featured in the film, along with the story's lurid topic. And director Philip Haas' pacing might be a bit hard to accept. But I feel that enduring all of this might be worth the trouble. Philip and Belinda Haas, along with the crew and a cast led by Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Patsy Kensit did an excellent in re-creating A.S. Byatt's tale on the screen, and creating a first-rate movie in the end.

"ANGELS & INSECTS" (1995) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "ANGELS & INSECTS", the 1995 adaptation of A.S. Byatt's 1992 novella, "Morphia Eugenia".  Directed by Philip Haas, the movie starred Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Patsy Kensit.

"ANGELS & INSECTS" (1995) Photo Gallery