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My "job", when reviewing Agatha Christie films, is fairly simple. Most of the time, when a film is faithful to the book, it gets a positive rating, and when it is a complete rewrite, I pan it. But now we come to a difficult situation where I must admit that "Third Girl" was not faithful to the novel, but it was still very good.I have to say, I really enjoyed "Third Girl"! Now, let's be fair to Agatha Christie. "Third Girl" was not her best book. Entertaining? Definitely. Good? Oh yes. Great? Not quite. Many coincidences occur throughout, and even Mrs. Oliver's appearances are entirely incredible- she's the "deus ex machina" of the book.In THIRD GIRL, not much happened. So, if there ever was a Christie that could use some spicing up for TV, it was definitely this one. I was perfectly open to changes, and I am so glad it turned out so well! David Suchet is once more flawless as Poirot. Zoe Wanamaker simply shines as Ariadne Oliver, adding a third brilliant performance as the famous novelist (alongside "Mrs. McGinty's Dead" and "Cards on the Table").The opening scene with Norma ("You're too old, Monsieur Poirot") was so well-done! It was very comic, and grabbed my attention immediately. Norma mentions Mrs. Oliver by name, saying she recommended Poirot to her. This makes his subsequent visit to Mrs. Oliver far more credible. This is one of the ways the incredible coincidences in the novel are "ironed out", so to speak.Now, the film takes more than a few liberties. If you thought the book was flawless and want a faithful adaptation, you may be disappointed. But it is very entertaining as it is. The few things that ARE close to the book (ex: Mrs. Oliver trying out her hand at trailing suspects; the very first scene) are done very well indeed.In short, THIRD GIRL spices up a rather drawn-out novel very neatly for television. If you're open to changes in this film, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
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