"Agatha Christie: Poirot"
After the Funeral (2005)

Director:

Maurice Phillips

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Philomena McDonagh (screenplay)

TV Series:

"Agatha Christie: Poirot" (1989)

Original Air Date:

11 December 2005 (Season 10, Episode 3)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

His friend, solicitor Gilbert Entwhistle, asks Hercule Poirot to help solve a riddle and a murder. The riddle has to do with Richard Abernethie's will...

Plot Keywords:

1930s | French Accent | Art Deco | Belgian | Murder Investigation

Cast

David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Robert Bathurst	...	Gilbert Entwhistle
Geraldine James	...	Helen Abernethie
Anna Calder-Marshall	...	Maude Abernethie
Monica Dolan	...	Miss Gilchrist / Cora Gallacio
Kevin Doyle	...	Inspector Morton
Michael Fassbender	...	George Abernethie
Fiona Glascott	...	Rosamund Shane
Julian Ovenden	...	Michael Shane
Lucy Punch	...	Susannah Henderson
William Russell	...	Lanscombe
Anthony Valentine	...	Giovanni Gallaccio
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Timothy Abernethie
Philip Anthony	...	Vicar
John Carson	...	Richard Abernethie

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:M | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Netherlands:6

Filming Locations:

Rotherfield Park, East Tisted, Alton, Hampshire, England, UK

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Quotes:

Hercule Poirot: I am awaiting a concrete piece of evidence - the final piece of the puzzle.
Inspector Morton: What kind of evidence?
Hercule Poirot: I cannot say at the moment - I may be wrong.
Inspector Morton: Doesn't often happen to you.
Hercule Poirot: It has happened twice in my career.
Inspector Morton: That's a relief! To be right all the time might get a bit monotonous.
Hercule Poirot: I do not find it so.

Movie Connections:

Version of Murder at the Gallop (1963)

"C'est magnifique!" (as Poirot says at one point)

Although I have definitely read this particular Agatha Christie book at some point, I didn't remember anything about it except the name "Abernethie". Which is a good thing, because seeing this story unfold without knowing how it will play out allowed me to appreciate once more the sheer GENIUS of Agatha Christie: the way she misleads you and then pulls the rug out from under your feet is the main reason for her success and timelessness. In addition to her stories, the excellent production values, beautiful locations, wonderful music, top-notch acting, elegant directing, etc. are the reasons for this series' success and timelessness - and all those virtues are present in "After the Funeral". A word of advice: be alert right from the start - there are clues dropped all over the place even in the opening sequence! There are some quite unnerving moments as well, in contrast to the peaceful-looking English-countryside locations, and some small touches of humor. A must-see for mystery buffs, and just a very good film in general. (***)