Dame P.D. James is one of the most respected and revered mystery writers of our times. At ripe age of89 she still writes marvelous books. I saw the other TV adaptations of her novels made on BBC, and they were done with great flair and creativity. Unfortunately, this TV movie wasn't done with the same flawless style as the previous installments. The script was very disjointed and hard to decipher. The editing was jerky and illogical. All in all a puzzling experience. Luckily, the saving grace was as usual a great cast of brilliant British actors. Martin Shaw is a good actor, but like most of the other fans I prefer Roy Marsden.
11 Reviews
I guess it's just me and this actor
blanche-21 February 2015
"The Murder Room," from a novel by P.D. James, is an excellent whodunit starring Martin Shaw as Adam Dalgliesh, and that's the problem right there. Though a fine actor, he just isn't Dalgliesh for me. I remember the old series starring Roy Marsden as being more exciting.
The story concerns a lease about to expire on a family museum, and there is one holdout, Neville Dupayne, who does not want to re-sign. The museum features a Murder Room, which displays information on notorious murders that took place between World War I and World War II. Neville, a doctor, thinks the money could be put to medical use.
When Neville dies in what appears to be a copycat murder of a display in the Murder Room, Commander Dalgleish is brought in. He has a lot of suspects to choose from -- the victim's brother and sister, museum employees who stood to lose their jobs, his secretary who is also his ex-mistress, and others. The solution, however, won't be found by investigating only the present day.
Though a good mystery and well-done, it was too long, in part because a subplot dealt with Dalgleish's love life, which I, for one, couldn't have cared less about. I didn't even understand why this woman was so interested in him, as the character was emotionally very uptight and a workaholic.
I found Dalgleish's relationship with his associates unpleasant, and both of them uninteresting.
I can only ask, where's Roy Marsden when you need him. He's only four years older than Shaw.
The story concerns a lease about to expire on a family museum, and there is one holdout, Neville Dupayne, who does not want to re-sign. The museum features a Murder Room, which displays information on notorious murders that took place between World War I and World War II. Neville, a doctor, thinks the money could be put to medical use.
When Neville dies in what appears to be a copycat murder of a display in the Murder Room, Commander Dalgleish is brought in. He has a lot of suspects to choose from -- the victim's brother and sister, museum employees who stood to lose their jobs, his secretary who is also his ex-mistress, and others. The solution, however, won't be found by investigating only the present day.
Though a good mystery and well-done, it was too long, in part because a subplot dealt with Dalgleish's love life, which I, for one, couldn't have cared less about. I didn't even understand why this woman was so interested in him, as the character was emotionally very uptight and a workaholic.
I found Dalgleish's relationship with his associates unpleasant, and both of them uninteresting.
I can only ask, where's Roy Marsden when you need him. He's only four years older than Shaw.
Why cant I give this a better grade?
jaybob19 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Good question in my summary.
There a few reasons & here are some.
It is a 3 hour 2 part television movie made my BBC. BBC film are usually very good & I usually love them.
I am not familiar with PD James the author of the novel that the mini-series is based on.
To me it seemed one had to be familiar with the Detective in charge & the other police personnel, to understand some of the goings on.
The MAIN gripe I have is the editing, many scenes started & about 10 seconds later they went to the next scene.
The acting by all seemed competent & the production values were good. I did expect better from BBC. the cast is all BBC actors who I am unfamiliar with.
One more point,There were hardly any characters that I really liked, the ones I did like did not have large enough scenes and that included a major suspect.
Ratings: **1/2 (out of 4) 73 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)
There a few reasons & here are some.
It is a 3 hour 2 part television movie made my BBC. BBC film are usually very good & I usually love them.
I am not familiar with PD James the author of the novel that the mini-series is based on.
To me it seemed one had to be familiar with the Detective in charge & the other police personnel, to understand some of the goings on.
The MAIN gripe I have is the editing, many scenes started & about 10 seconds later they went to the next scene.
The acting by all seemed competent & the production values were good. I did expect better from BBC. the cast is all BBC actors who I am unfamiliar with.
One more point,There were hardly any characters that I really liked, the ones I did like did not have large enough scenes and that included a major suspect.
Ratings: **1/2 (out of 4) 73 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)
Gripping
pawebster11 January 2005
Old P D James keeps the books coming and in no time they are on TV. This is a gripping story and is as good as her others.
It's all about a privately run museum, which has a room about murders of the past. People start getting bumped off in ways which resemble some of the earlier crimes.
It's well acted, but I found it hard to accept Martin Shaw in the lead role as Dalgleish. He seemed physically wrong for it -- too much of an ox for the poet Dalgleish. His two assistants also appeared to be lightweight and rather too young to be inspectors. They had to do mundane work that I would have thought would be done by lower ranks.
The subplot about Dalgleish's attempt to woo a girlfriend is a bit of a distraction and not well integrated into the rest of the story.
It's all about a privately run museum, which has a room about murders of the past. People start getting bumped off in ways which resemble some of the earlier crimes.
It's well acted, but I found it hard to accept Martin Shaw in the lead role as Dalgleish. He seemed physically wrong for it -- too much of an ox for the poet Dalgleish. His two assistants also appeared to be lightweight and rather too young to be inspectors. They had to do mundane work that I would have thought would be done by lower ranks.
The subplot about Dalgleish's attempt to woo a girlfriend is a bit of a distraction and not well integrated into the rest of the story.
Room of Past Murders
whpratt131 May 2007
This is a great murder mystery story about a museum which is having problems among its administrators and there is a possibility it will be closed. The main attraction to the museum is a room dedicated to murders which were committed in a brutal and horrible fashion. For example, a person being stuffed in a trunk and a mallet that crushed in a skull and the list goes on and on. Martin Shaw, (Adam Dalgliesh) plays the role of a stuffed shirt uptight investigator who is told to his face he is hard to communicate with. Adam has his hands full trying to investigate various murders which were being copied from murders committed in the Murder Room of the museum. Adam meets up with a pretty female he knew in the past and his character seems to change after this girl hits on him for romance. Great Mystery story and a great film to view. Enjoy.
Martin Shaw's performance is that of Judge Deed, not Dagliesh.
bobcarignan2 June 2007
As an avid P.D. James fan and reader, I find myself critical of "The Murder Room" and Martin Shaw's performance in it. Unlike other comments, I feel that the movie must at least be true to the writer's creation of the character's personality. "Judge Deed" is NOT "Adam Dagliesh", but the portrayal by Shaw is similar. Adam Dagliesh is a classy, private, remote, creative intelligent, sensitive character, not the "Bull In a China Shop" personality that Martin Shaw portrays in Murder Room. Don't get me wrong, I love "Judge Deed" and Shaw's portrayal of him, but his performance simply doesn't fit as James's "Dagliesh" character. Let's dredge Mr. Roy Marsden out of his theater environment for these wonderful new productions of P.D. James excellent novels and enjoy his accurate and creative interpretation of the Dagliesh character. In closing I must say that the film itself was well written, well directed, and true to the novel.
Tomcat Among The Pigeons
Lechuguilla22 February 2008
Famed mystery writer P.D. James spins an intricate tale of deception and murder in this classic style whodunit story, converted to TV movie, set at a spooky old museum in England. Three wealthy siblings in charge of the Dupayne Museum are at odds over its future. One wants to close it down for financial reasons; the other two want to keep it open, presumably for posterity. One of its rooms is dedicated to infamous murders that occurred between WWI and WWII. When a murder occurs at the museum, the MO closely resembles a murder described in the murder room.
The plot contains ample red herrings, and just the right number of suspects. There's some good spine-tingling suspense, especially toward the film's end, when the murderer dressed in black and concealed by darkness prowls around in the building at night. The story reminds me, in some ways, of Agatha Christie's novel "Cat Among The Pigeons"; indeed, in "The Murder Room" an old tomcat figures into the story's conclusion.
As with the best whodunits, the plot leads viewers down the garden path; what seems important is not; what's seemingly irrelevant may be very important. If there's a theme to the story, it's spoken by one of the suspects: "The past isn't so easily shaken off; old sins return".
As engaging as the film is, it's not perfect. I did not care at all for the romantic subplot of the lead detective. With a runtime of three hours, this subplot not only unnecessarily prolongs the movie, but it also intrudes into the whodunit puzzle. In addition, the film's editing at the beginning is too frantic. Viewers must endure a barrage of too many new characters and too many flashbacks. As a result, the first thirty minutes present a chaotic jumble of confusing images. All these images make sense on a repeat viewing; but I almost gave up on the film, at first. Finally, the film's ending, as regards the explanation of the killer's motive, seems rushed. A couple of key questions are never answered.
"The Murder Room" is made to order for viewers who like classic whodunit puzzles. There's plenty of time to sink your teeth into the story and get to know the suspects and their potential for being the killer. Casting and acting are quite good. And for a TV movie, production design and sets are surprisingly detailed and lavish. The only real weaknesses are an unnecessary subplot, and an intimidating thirty-minute intro. Given those constraints, this film offers some terrific whodunit entertainment.
The plot contains ample red herrings, and just the right number of suspects. There's some good spine-tingling suspense, especially toward the film's end, when the murderer dressed in black and concealed by darkness prowls around in the building at night. The story reminds me, in some ways, of Agatha Christie's novel "Cat Among The Pigeons"; indeed, in "The Murder Room" an old tomcat figures into the story's conclusion.
As with the best whodunits, the plot leads viewers down the garden path; what seems important is not; what's seemingly irrelevant may be very important. If there's a theme to the story, it's spoken by one of the suspects: "The past isn't so easily shaken off; old sins return".
As engaging as the film is, it's not perfect. I did not care at all for the romantic subplot of the lead detective. With a runtime of three hours, this subplot not only unnecessarily prolongs the movie, but it also intrudes into the whodunit puzzle. In addition, the film's editing at the beginning is too frantic. Viewers must endure a barrage of too many new characters and too many flashbacks. As a result, the first thirty minutes present a chaotic jumble of confusing images. All these images make sense on a repeat viewing; but I almost gave up on the film, at first. Finally, the film's ending, as regards the explanation of the killer's motive, seems rushed. A couple of key questions are never answered.
"The Murder Room" is made to order for viewers who like classic whodunit puzzles. There's plenty of time to sink your teeth into the story and get to know the suspects and their potential for being the killer. Casting and acting are quite good. And for a TV movie, production design and sets are surprisingly detailed and lavish. The only real weaknesses are an unnecessary subplot, and an intimidating thirty-minute intro. Given those constraints, this film offers some terrific whodunit entertainment.
Everyone is unpleasant
medcolpa6 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This feels to me like a pretty poor adaptation of a PD James book. The first espisode can almost be ignored completely. The editing in the initial 50 mins is awful...fast cut, cut, cut...no story continuity. But for me the real problem is that all the characters in the film are simply unpleasant. Dalgliesh's 2 junior officers seem to hate each so much that he let's let bicker and insult each other continually during the investigation. Would a Commander at the Met really let that happen during a murder investigation? All the other characters in the drama are awful people, with something to hide, and seemingly no redeeming features. OK Sian Phillips character is nice. Why PD James bothers to let Dalgliesh have a personal life I am not sure. It adds no value to stories ever. In this adaptation Dalgliesh is made out to be a complete fool with Dr Lavenham. The meal they almost have after 48 mins in Esp 1 - he really goes out on a date with an incredibly beautiful Cambridge Don with his phone on? But before he mobile rings, he is simply dithering in front of a "perfect woman". Dalgliesh is super smart (Met Commander) and a poet! But incapable of expressing himself on a date...oh come on. BTW they pour their own wine in a fancy restaurant - inconceivable that could happen. In the second episode the pace picks up and isn't bad. Finally, I do not think that Shaw makes Dalgliesh any more human than Marsden. in fact rather the opposite. Marsden's performances are more nuanced. But Shaw is a fine actor, and does a good job here. Overall I think "A taste for death" is the best TV adaptation.
An excellent adaptation of the book - and a more human Dalgliesh than Roy Marsden's portrayal
martinu-221 February 2005
As always, P D James has written a very good and intriguing story. The adaptation is faithful to the book: nothing much is added or taken out. However maybe the explanation of the murderer's motives was glossed over a little.
I actually prefer Martin Shaw rather than Roy Marsden as Adam Dalgliesh. Martin Shaw's portrayal is arguably less faithful to the character as P D James writes it, but portrays him as a more human, likable character. I always found Roy Marsden's portrayal (and his description in P D James's books) to be stern, humourless, aloof, distant and with no likable qualities or little human failings that I could identify with.
I liked the subplot about his girlfriend. It showed his vulnerability and his awkwardness with women; the letter that he wrote to her at the end (I won't spoil it by mentioning the subject) was very moving.
I agree that characters of Dalgliesh's two inspectors weren't really developed properly (they aren't in the book either). One of the slight failings of the Dalgliesh books and TV series are that the relationship between Dalgliesh and his sidekicks isn't strong enough that they can confide in each other, in the way that Morse and Lewis or Wexford and Burden do. The acid test of a "good" TV detective, aside from their deductive qualities, is whether you like them as a person and could imagine yourself discussing a case with them over a pint. With Morse, Frost or Wexford, this is easy to imagine; with Dalgliesh, especially as portrayed by Roy Marsden, I suspect that the conversation would be a bit tense and there would be lots of long silences! At least it is easier to imagine having a drink and a chat with Martin Shaw's version of Dalgliesh.
I actually prefer Martin Shaw rather than Roy Marsden as Adam Dalgliesh. Martin Shaw's portrayal is arguably less faithful to the character as P D James writes it, but portrays him as a more human, likable character. I always found Roy Marsden's portrayal (and his description in P D James's books) to be stern, humourless, aloof, distant and with no likable qualities or little human failings that I could identify with.
I liked the subplot about his girlfriend. It showed his vulnerability and his awkwardness with women; the letter that he wrote to her at the end (I won't spoil it by mentioning the subject) was very moving.
I agree that characters of Dalgliesh's two inspectors weren't really developed properly (they aren't in the book either). One of the slight failings of the Dalgliesh books and TV series are that the relationship between Dalgliesh and his sidekicks isn't strong enough that they can confide in each other, in the way that Morse and Lewis or Wexford and Burden do. The acid test of a "good" TV detective, aside from their deductive qualities, is whether you like them as a person and could imagine yourself discussing a case with them over a pint. With Morse, Frost or Wexford, this is easy to imagine; with Dalgliesh, especially as portrayed by Roy Marsden, I suspect that the conversation would be a bit tense and there would be lots of long silences! At least it is easier to imagine having a drink and a chat with Martin Shaw's version of Dalgliesh.
Yaaawwwwnnnnn!
davyd-0223722 March 2021
40 minutes in....all characters present but not one of them likeable. all "self obsessed" with themselves and with little concern for anything else but "me". Dalgleish is completely uninteresting and this needed a Roy Marsden without which, simply find something else to do
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