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:

Miss Marple: Nemesis

Filming Locations:

Stourhead House, Wiltshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

7 Network, A+E 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

Professor Wanstead: Archdeacon, there's someone I'd like you to meet. There she is...
[Gesturing in Miss Marple's direction]
Professor Wanstead: . Mr. Rafiel's bloodhound - his avenging angel. She looks so harmless, doesn't she? But her camouflage is perfect because she is partly just what she seems - a gossipy old village lady, but her logic is ruthless and her powers of synthesis formidable. And above all she never lets go.

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Connections

Follows Miss Marple: The Body in the Library (1984)

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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

Excellent, and a HUGE improvement on the Geraldine McEwan version

While not quite as good as A Murder is Announced, which was not only delightful but almost surpassed the book, this is an excellent adaptation. And you know what, it is a huge improvement on the Geraldine McEwan version. Now I don't take pride in bad mouthing the Geraldine McEwan adaptations, two or three of them were surprisingly good, but others started off well but ruined by either a poor script, a confusing final solution or both. The Geraldine McEwan version suffered from a plodding pace, and both of the above problems, and I would consider second worst of the ITV adaptations, worst being Sittaford Mystery, which even on its own merits turned out dull and confusing. This adaptation of the book Nemesis is a huge improvement, it not only respects the book, despite a few liberties, but it pretty much rectifies the problems the ITV version had. Despite the added character of Lionel coming across as rather irritating, more to do with how he was written than how he was acted, and one or two moments of sluggish pacing, this is solid as an adaptation of a decent book. It is beautifully filmed, with nice photography and period detail, and the music as always is excellent. The performances are wonderful this time around, and make the most of an in general well-done script, with Joan Hickson brilliant as always as Miss Marple, and solid turns from Liz Fraser, Helen Cherry, Joanna Hole and Anna Cropper. Margaret Tyzack is outstanding though in a chilling and moving performance as Clothilde. Overall, well worth watching, better than the recent version in pretty much all departments. 9/10 Bethany Cox