Thirteen at Dinner1985

There are several things of note to this film:

1. Despite all three adaptations prior being period pieces this made for tv film (and I assume the two that follow it) are all contemporary. Even though the lead is the same as the two previous theatrical films. The only reason for this I can assume is budgetary concerns. 

1. the inclusion of Hastings with a mere wave and the only introduction is that of his name. He is not any of the previous films in name or otherwise but included as if we always knew who he was and it would be superfluous to make mention of it. 

1. the equally unglamorous introduction of inspector Japp. Who is interestingly played by one David Suchet, who in only a few short years will make his version of Poirot the ultimate definitive take on the character. 

It is very surprising after watching three elegant period mysteries for this movie to start with a “modern” tv production control room and see Poirot appear as a guest on a talk show. A film filled with very 80s fashion, very 80s cars, and a very 80s Bill Nighy. And yet despite all that, there is still a timelessness to many of the locations featured here to the point that I would forget that it wasn’t a period piece. It makes England feel almost fantastical, like a world out of time.  Poirot feels equally out of his own time. Ustinov is as charismatic as ever, and his tête-à-tête’s with his Watsonian friend Hastings are equally enjoyable. But he feels like he has been frozen in time like Captain America, only to be thawed out to solve this mystery.  The mystery itself is fine. Something I’ve noticed in a few Christie mysteries is that there is usually an obvious suspect that the story then uses all its powers to try to show how that person couldn’t have done it, only to be revealed as the guilty party in the end. So when the story feels as slow as this, it can make the journey fairly disappointing. And thus I latched onto many details aside from the mystery.  The movie looks really good for a tv film, but it’s really weird seeing Poirot walking down a modern London street. Even though it’s slow, I could see myself revisiting this again if only to watch Peter Ustinov work.