"Agatha Christie: Poirot" The Mystery of the Blue Train (2005)

Director:

Hettie Macdonald

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Guy Andrews (screenplay)

TV Series:

"Agatha Christie: Poirot" (1989)

Original Air Date:

11 December 2005 (Season 10, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

Poirot investigates the brutal hammer murder of Ruth Kettering, an American heiress and the theft of a fabulous ruby on the Blue Train between Calais and Nice.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Ruby | Heiress | Maid | Hammer Murder

Cast

David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
James D'Arcy	...	Derek Kettering
Alice Eve	...	Lenox
Nicholas Farrell	...	Knighton
Bronagh Gallagher	...	Ada Mason
Tom Harper	...	Corky
Jane How	...	Lady at Ball
Samuel James	...	Steward
Helen Lindsay	...	Sister Rosalia
Oliver Milburn	...	La Roche
Jaime Murray	...	Ruth Kettering
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Inspector Caux (as Roger Lloyd Pack)
Etela Pardo	...	Dolores
Georgina Rylance	...	Katherine
Josette Simon	...	Mirelle Milesi

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials) | Finland:94 min (excluding commercials)

Country:

UK

Language:

Italian | English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:M | Australia:PG (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

Hercule Poirot mentions at the end that he has never traveled on the Orient Express, raising viewer expectations of his most famous case, "Murder on the Orient Express."

Quotes:

Count De La Roche: [after being punched and knocked down] You could have given me a black eye!
Derek Kettering: Match your fingernails and your heart!

Entertaining IF you get past the changes

POIROT has been cherished by Agatha Christie fans for keeping close to the original novel 9 times out of 10. For some reason, 3 of the 4 episodes this season have changed the plot until it's unrecognizable. Will the faithful Poirot ever return? Not very likely-- unfortunately, the faithful Poirot seems to have ended when Agatha Christie's daughter died. Matthew Pritchard says his grandmother wouldn't have minded the changes-- he is 99% of the time wrong, but he may have been right this time. Agatha Christie said several times that THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN was her worst novel ever, and she hated it. I do not share her opinion. I liked the book how it was. No changes are required if it's an Agatha Christie-- her name on the book is a guarantee that it's perfect.

The changes made in the movie are innumerable. This is a complete rewrite of the book-- it's the NEMESIS of the Poirot season. Did the screenwriter read the book? However, if you put the changes behind you and try to sit back and enjoy the movie, you may end up liking it.