Paul Evans It was hard as a huge Agatha Christie fan not to have the image of Margaret Rutherford and Mr Stringer running around, (note to all the purist fans that didn't like the Marple adaptations being messed around with and novels n characters crossed, it was done in the 60s!) after a few minutes all of that thought had gone and I got engrossed in what was one of the best Poirot adaptations. I was pleased at how faithfully they stuck to the book, but they did such a good job with it, they made a plodder of a novel into a wonderful screenplay. I will add to the plaudits for Monica Dolan, Miss Gilchrist was glorious throughout, and when she snapped at the end she showcased her acting talents to perfection, upstaging the rest of the cast, Mr Suchet included. Her behavious and mannerisms when the painting is slowly uncovered are so natural, you can sense the apprehension. A nice little bit of humour was used which gave it a light feel at times, the glances between Poirot and Gilbert, when looking at Cora's artwork. It was so nice to see William Russell of Dr Who fame as the butler. Hard to find fault with any aspect of this, but after watching it you can see why Monica has become an AWARD winning actress. The music throughout is particularly nice and melodic, pacing and direction are first class. One other scene I particularly enjoyed was between Poirot and Rosamund when she breaks down into tears, it's very touching and beautifully done. All in all a fabulous adaptation, a top notch 10/10

bob the moo We join this mystery to find that Poirot is on his way to somewhere with a lawyer friend who wishes him to help look into a murder which may or may not be connected to a rather suspicious series of events following the funeral of a client. This introduction to this story is nicely done because very quickly we get an introduction to a contained but quite large circle of family members who will essentially make up our suspects; it also saves time because it allows the viewer to look back over events in a neat way rather than having to play them out.From here the plot thickens as various motives and family rivalries surface, and Poirot is swimming in one lie or another, all while certain little things stick in his mind and in the minds of others. In terms of the development of the mystery, it is very well done so that, although I was nowhere near working it out myself, I was able to pick up on many of the small things which ultimately were of significance. The colorful characters are all well played by the cast, and in particular some of the characters were played so that I was taken in by who I thought they were rather than who they turned out to be (character wise). With a lot going on with a larger group of characters, I appreciated the pacing of the mystery too – it has urgency and tension to it, but not so much that it changes the style of the series; it is not that it becomes CSI, but just that it feels lean, focused and effective.The cast is roundly good. Retrospectively it is Fassbender who sticks out due to being much more famous now than he was at this point, however, while he is good, he is surrounded by people with a bit more to get their teeth into. Suchet of course is good as ever, and I liked that the fate of the murderer genuinely seemed to throw him, and he worked well with his feelings around this person. Dolan is also part of that, since she is so sympathetic throughout, and is strong in the denouncement too. Support from Bathurst, Carson, Doyle, James, Punch, and others is all good and gives a strong ensemble feel – but it is Suchet and Dolan that make the lasting impression.Overall, a very enjoyable entry in the series, with a mystery that is introduced at pace and continues to have forward motion but not feel rushed. The cast do good work in the delivery of the satisfying and engaging tale, while the camera and direction keep the sense of pace and thought in there too.

tedg The last episode I have seen of this series was the last made at this writing. And it is the best I have seen, fully cinematic, and a competent mystery after a decade of mostly wasted opportunities. With this episode, I have seen three of the four from season 12 and all are excellent.This one is a contender for the best, based on a very subtle trick that is played on the viewer, a trick that is the cinematic equivalent of the sort of literary clue Agatha would have used. The solution to the murder has to do with a character playing a part, a redhead, incidentally. Two of our suspects are actors, and that allows us to have a scene in the middle of all the suspects, family members who benefited from the will.The scene is wonderful. It is on a stage where a play has just finished with a murder. The characters lounge on the set. This is mirrored at the end with the constant Poirot device where all the suspects are collected, and the murderer (and other villains) revealed. In this case, the room is marvelously overblown but strictly reminiscent of the stage we saw earlier. Lest we miss the clue, that room contains a dollhouse. And yes, that dollhouse contains a clue.One of the red herrings is a pair of nuns who pop up in suspicious places. Guess what we see in the background of the behind the scenes in that play? An actress playing a nun. She's so subliminal you probably wouldn't have noticed her. Its a great, great piece of mystery stagecraft. Notice that the woman suspect's hair (she's in the foreground) though normally brown is lit to be red. Another clue.Overall, the way the camera is managed is very well considered. Half the time it is expository mode. Christie mysteries are very talkie. The other half of the time the camera is in Hitchcock-dePalma mode. Curiously examining as Poirot would.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

blanche-2 David Suchet is Agatha Christie's mustached detective Hercule Poirot in "After the Funeral," produced in 2005. Anyone who has heard David Suchet speak with his own British accent knows what a shock it is, because his accent as Poirot is so perfect and organic to the character. Suchet is the Poirot of Agatha Christie's books, and although I confess a love for Peter Ustinov in the role, his portrayal doesn't have that much to do with what Christie wrote.In this episode, Poirot is asked by a solicitor friend to investigate the possible murder of one of his clients. Enroute on the train, the solicitor recounts the events after the death - a strange will disinheriting the expected heir and the pronouncement of the man's sister that he was murdered. When Poirot meets the family, he discovers adultery, lots of secrets, another will and murder.The story is excellent with rich production values and a wonderful, detailed depiction of the time period. All of the acting is superb, particularly from Monica Dolan, who plays Miss Gilchrist. Poirot here is without Hastings, his beautiful office, or Miss Lemon but he's effective nonetheless.I had the privilege of seeing David Suchet on Broadway in "Amadeus." Breathtaking. What an actor - when he's playing Poirot, all I see IS Poirot.