Miss Marple: Nemesis (1987)

Miss Marple receives a cryptic letter requesting her to right an unknown injustice, but receives no hint other than a ticket for guided tour of historic homes.

Director:

David Tucker

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), T.R. Bowen (dramatisation)

Stars:

Joan Hickson, Peter Tilbury, Frank Gatliff

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Hickson	...	Miss Jane Marple
Peter Tilbury	...	Lionel Peel
Frank Gatliff	...	Jason Rafiel
Barbara Franceschi	...	Miss Kurnowitz
Bruce Payne	...	Michael Rafiel
Roger Hammond	...	Mr. Broadribb
Patrick Godfrey	...	Mr. Schuster
Ann Queensberry	...	Miss Wimpole
Joanna Hole	...	Madge
Helen Cherry	...	Miss Elizabeth Temple
John Horsley	...	Professor Wanstead
Jane Booker	...	Miss Cooke
Alison Skilbeck	...	Miss Barrow
Valerie Lush	...	Lavinia Glynne
Margaret Tyzack	...	Clothilde Bradbury-Scott

Storyline

Miss Marple receives a most interesting request from Mr. Jason Rafiel, with whom she'd struck an acquaintance some years before. He would like her to solve a crime but, does not tell her what it might be, who might have been involved or where it might have occurred. In fact, he can't be sure that a crime was committed at all. The only information she gets is a booking on a tour of stately homes and gardens so, along with her nephew and godson Lionel, she sets off to see what she can learn. When they reach the village of Abbey Ducis, it begins to make sense. Not only did Mr. Rafiel live in the area it is also where his son Michael was accused, though never convicted, of murdering his fiancée, Verity Hunt. Father and son were long estranged but Michael lives rough and has so ever since. There is also the apparent coincidence that another young woman, Nora Brent, went missing at the same time as Verity and was last being seen in Michael Rafiel's car. When Elizabeth Temple, a fellow ...

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Plot Keywords:

tour | letter | garden | murder | son | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1987 (UK)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: Nemesis

Filming Locations:

Stourhead House, Wiltshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

7 Network,A&E Television Networks,British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Greek mythology, Nemesis is a sister of Lachesis, Clothos, and Atropos, the Three Fates, whose names are reflected in those of the three Bradbury-Scott sisters -- Lavinia, Clothilde, and Anthea.

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Quotes

Mr. Broadribb: [Speculating on Miss Marple] I wonder what she's like.
Mr. Schuster: She's elderly, so she'll be punctual.

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Connections

Follows Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel (1987)

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Soundtracks

Nocturne No.8 D-flat major, Op.27-2
Composed by Frédéric Chopin
(At the dining room of a manor house)

User Reviews

An excellent adaptation of the book

I was driven to write this by Charlie Peterson's baffling review, claiming that it is nothing like the book. I had watched and enjoyed the film, but then saw that review and so went back and read the book again.

It's a book with an awful lot of people talking and saying what they're thinking, which you simply can't drop straight into a film adaptation. However, the fundamental story line is maintained, along with almost all the characters. (A couple of very minor ones have been dropped, and one other minor one is introduced.)

You can't turn a book like this verbatim into a film, but this is a really good effort and very well done indeed. It captures the atmosphere and the story telling of the book excellently. To fuss that you can spot tiny differences is simply splitting hairs.

There are really bad adaptations out there - The Secret of Chimneys with Julia McKenzie for instance is quite dreadful - but where that film scores less than 1% for faithfulness to the book, Nemesis scores well over 90%.

Worth seeing - whether or not you have read the book.