ma-cortes The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is an entertaining and suspenseful murder crime movie . Beautiful and veteran film star Marina Gregg (Lindsay Crouse , and in the classic cinematic version played by Elizabeth Taylor) and her young husband move to St. Mary Mead, but their arrival becomes clouded in tragedy . Being last lead starring role in a cinema movie for this actress and directed by his husband , she is attempting to make a comeback to play Nefertiti , after being off-screen for many years due to an emotional breakdown and substance abuse. She is supported by her fifth husband and director of the movie, Jason Rudd ( Nigel Harman , priorly performed by Rock Hudson) . They rent a manor house in St. Mary Mead to Dolly (Joanna Lummley) , Miss Marple's best friend ; and host a reception for the villagers . Then, there appears her former husband and his new wife and things go wrong . At the reception for the fading film star making a screen comeback , a gushing, pushy fan is poisoned by a drink apparently meant for the actress . There she met Gregg briefly before her breakdown and being poisoned by a drink apparently meant for the film star . Because of Gregg's celebrity status, Police Superintendent assigns one of his most skilled and discreet investigators, Inspector Hewitt (Hugh Bonneville , prepiously performed by Edward Fox) who is helped by Miss Marple (Julia McKenzie) . Together they set about investigating the murder , death threats and jealousy associated with the case . The plot is plain and simple : A troubled Hollywood star celebrates a party when a fan is fatally poisoned during the garden fête, as Miss Marple to investigate it ; Who is the killer ? . This movie was made and released about fifty years after Agatha Christie's source novel of the same name was first published in 1962. The film is a detective story in which you are the detective . In the picture there is mystery , emotion , suspense , actors's interpretations are acceptable and including wonderful outdoors . The support cast is pretty good such as Joanna Lumley , Hugh Bonneville , Michele Dotrice , Charlotte Riley , Will Young and special mention for Linsay Duncan as the veteran and bittered actress . The movie gets a lush costume design by Sheena Napier and adequate production design by Jeff Tessler . Colorful and sunny cinematography by Cinders Forshaw . This Miss Marple episode was efficiently directed by Tom Shankland . Miss Marple was firsly played by Margaret Rutherford who had made the role famous during the 1960s. Following Angela Lansbury with the film Crack Mirror (1980) by Guy Hamilton became the second actress to play Miss Marple on the big screen, after Lansbury was the fourth if one counts TV where Gracie Fields and Inge Langen also played Marple. Subsequently in TV was starred by Joan Hickson who played a successful series . And finally Agatha Christie's Marple series starred by Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple . This Tv movie had a former and known rendition directed by Guy Hamilton in 1980 with all-star-cast as Elizabeth Taylor , Kim Novak , Rock Hudson , Edward Fox , among others . Rating : Decent and acceptable , well worth watching . The flick will appeal to suspense lovers and Agatha Christie novels buffs .

grantss Miss Marple is thrilled when one of her favourite movie stars, Marina Gregg, and her husband, director Jason Rudd, move to her village of St Mary Mead. Ms Gregg and her husband throw a housewarming party and, unfortunately, Miss Marple is injured shortly beforehand, so can't attend. The party turns out to be very eventful as one of the guests, Heather Badcock, dies of an overdose of anti-depressants in her cocktail. Ms Gregg suspects the poison was meant for her, a fear which is justified when her coffee is poisoned on a film set. The police, aided by Miss Marple, investigate.The best of the Miss Marple series. Very intriguing mystery, quite plausible in its back story, and quite simple in its implementation. For once it's about the characters and everyday human motives, rather than a fantastical, long-winded story. Miss Marple is less bland than usual but the episode is aided and abetted considerably by the presence of Joanna Lumley as Marple's friend Dolly Bantry. She gives the episode a great deal of colour.

WeatherViolet A showing of a recent version of the film "Marie Antoinette," directed by Jason Rudd (Nigel Harman), and starring Marina Gregg (Lindsay Duncan) with Marie Thérèse (Isabella Parriss) and Louis Charles (Gene Goodman) as her children, preceding a "British Cinematone News" reel, announcing that famous actress Marina Gregg and her (fifth) husband, Director Jason Rudd, have purchased an estate in St. Mary Mead.House lights activate to guide the audience along the aisles, while Miss Jane Marple (Julia McKenzie, in her fifth turn in the role) and neighbor Dolly Bantry (Joanna Lumley) enter the lobby to discuss the report that these two celebrities (Marina and Jason, who have met on the set of "Marie Antoinette" and have since married) plan to relocate to their community, and to Goston Hall, which Dolly has owned with late husband, Arthur.Marina Gregg and young groom, Jason Rudd, indeed, arrive to welcome neighbors Dolly and Miss Marple for tea, but Miss Marple turns her ankle and becomes advised by Doctor Haydock (Neil Stuke) not to attend Marina and Jason's garden party for charity, to which she and Dolly have been invited. Cherry Baker (Olivia Darnley) tends to Miss Marple's care and socializes with Primrose Dixon (Lois Jones), an employee of Marina and Jason's, who serves as a maid at their gathering, and reports information to Miss Marple through a curious Cherry.Doctor Haydock attends the reception, meeting hosts and their employees and guests who are welcomed upstairs. Employees include Ella Blunt (Victoria Smurfit), Jason Rudd's Secretary, and Hailey Preston (Brennan Brown), Marina's Personal Assistant.Guests include Counselor and Mrs. Hubbard (Michele Dotrice) and Heather Badcock (Caroline Quentin), Secretary of Association (who has assisted Jane Marple in her recovery), and Dolly Bantry, who snoops around her former residence with Mrs. Hubbard.Margot Bence (Charlotte Riley) sneaks into the gathering to photograph the event and is spotted around corners and staircases with her active camera. She operates a studio, which Dolly and Miss Marple patronize when additional snooping call a bit later on.Vincent Hogg (Martin Jarvis), entertainment columnist arrives with Lola Brewster (Hannah Waddingham) to crash the reception. Vincent has been one of Marina's former husbands, while Lola has been involved with Jason in the past.But when a victim passes out and perishes after consuming narcotic-laced alcohol, Scotland Yard Inspector Hewitt (Hugh Bonneville) and Sergeant Tiddler (Samuel Barnett) arrive to investigate this overdose of anti-depressants and consider the possibility of murder, which seems to have been intended for a different victim.As the authorities visit Miss Marple, who has been learning of various accounts of events transpiring at the manor, she, also, begins to conclude various scenarios, as Marina prepares for her next role as "Queen Nefertiti," under Jason's direction, opposite Gay actor Casey Croft (Will Young), about whom Marina complains for touching her. Maisie Cooper (Anna Anderson) participates in the second film play-within-a-play in a supporting role.Along with Jason and his employees Ella Blunt, Primrose Dixon and Hailey Preston on hand at the studio, as well as the visiting Lola Brewster, Vincent Hogg, Margot Bence, Dolly Bantry and Miss Marple herself, many observe a temperamental Marina's reacting harshly to a substance which has been slipped into her coffee server.But back at the scene of the first crime, a second body is discovered, as a result of cyanide poisoning. And now, as Inspector Hewitt and Sergeant Tiddler continue to question witnesses and possible suspects, Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple attempts to solve the murders from a distance, after hearing first-hand accounts, and her re-thinking of a clue from "The Lady of Shilot," involving the line, "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side." Has any of this to do with adoptive children Margot and Angus, or handicapped birth son, Bobby? Will an injured Miss Marple be able to confront her suspect before a possible third murder transpires? The cast is rounded out by Julie Salter as Banquet Guest, Jonathan Coyne as French Officer, Simon John Wilson as Press Reporter, Don Gallagher as Man in Livery, and Darren Petrucci in an unidentified role (possibly as ring-leader in the "Marie Antoinette" segment).

Neil Doyle I haven't been a fan of the new Miss Marple series that began with Geraldine McEwan as the lady sleuth, but this time--with JULIA McKENZIE as the inquisitive old lady, readers of the book should be pleased to know that it follows the original story fairly well. The plot itself is not as gimmicky as some of the other Christie stories and is easy to follow. An alert viewer will realize what's going on from the start, since the incident surrounding the death of movie fan Heather Badcock was based on the true-life case of movie star Gene Tierney's situation involving a fan who got out of her sickbed to greet the actress. From that incident, Miss Christie drew her inspiration for writing this murder mystery centering around the tragic result based on a casual meeting.As Marina Gregg, the temperamental Hollywood star, LINDSAY DUNCAN does a fine job and her handsome young husband is played well by NIGEL HARMAN. Others in the supporting cast are all proficient and well cast in their respective roles.The solution is one you can spot coming if you know the background story of the Gene Tierney incident. One of the better Agatha Christie tales to be transposed to the screen, it's interesting from start to finish with never a dull spot or lagging moment.