Murder Is Easy 

A village is plagued by a spate of seemingly accidental deaths, but Miss Marple is convinced a more sinister hand is involved when a villager on her way to Scotland Yard is conveniently dispatched.

Director:

Hettie Macdonald

Writers:

Stephen Churchett (screenplay), Agatha Christie (novel)

Stars:

Julia McKenzie, Steve Pemberton, Shirley Henderson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Julia McKenzie	...	Miss Marple
Steve Pemberton	...	Henry Wake
Shirley Henderson	...	Honoria Waynflete
Sylvia Syms	...	Lavinia Pinkerton
Benedict Cumberbatch	...	Luke Fitzwilliam
Lyndsey Marshal	...	Amy Gibbs
James Lance	...	Dr Geoffrey Thomas
Tim Brooke-Taylor	...	Dr Edward Humbleby
Camilla Arfwedson	...	Rose Humbleby
Hugo Speer	...	James Abbot
Anna Chancellor	...	Lydia Horton
David Haig	...	Major Hugh Horton
Margo Stilley	...	Bridget Conway
Jemma Redgrave	...	Jessie Humbleby
Russell Tovey	...	PC Terence Reed

Storyline

While traveling on a train to London, Miss Marple is told by a woman she has never met, Lavinia Pinkerton, that she is certain there have been two murders in her village of Wychwood. When Lavinia dies in what is purported to be an accident - she fell, or was pushed, down the escalator in a tube station - Miss Marple decides to visit Wychwood and see what she can find. As Miss Marple is apt to say, one English village is like another and Wychwood has its secrets like any other. The first woman to die was Florie Gibbs who, despite being experienced in such things, supposedly ate poison mushrooms she picked herself. The second was the local vicar who failed to wear his mask when using poison near his beehives. The third is a young woman who, it is said, accidentally drank hat dye instead of her cough medicine. Miss Marple finds a clue that points to a motive with origins many years before and a secret someone will do anything, including murder, to keep hidden.

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Plot Keywords:

colon in title | four word title | murder mystery | character name in title | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 July 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie Marple: Murder Is Easy

Filming Locations:

Southgate Underground Station, Southgate Circus, Southgate, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

ITV Studios, WGBH, Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both David Haig (Major Horton) and Anna Chancellor (Mrs. Horton) were featured in the same segment - Wedding Two: Bernard and Lydia - in "Four weddings and a funeral" (1994).

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Goofs

When Lavinia falls down the escalator at the tube station, you can clearly see the big oblong shin pads underneath her tights.

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Connections

Version of Murder Is Easy (1982)

User Reviews

'Hallowe'en Party' of Miss Marple

This is my fourth Julia McKenzie Marple after Pocket Full of Rye, They do it with Mirrors and Pale Horse. She is getting really warm on me. I'm a big fan of Geraldine McEwan, who used to play Marple, so I was cautious with the new Marple. Well, Julia McKenzie is a very different Marple. I wanna congratulate her for not copying Geraldine. Her approach to the character is more active (since she's 10 years younger) and seams more worried. I like her, it still is Marple, but she's certainly different.

As for the story, I was shocked. If anyone saw butchery that is Poirot: Halloween Party (very good film, butchery as in many dead, not as in destroying the story), then you'd have an idea of what I wanna say. Usually there are 1-3 dead bodies per episode, and usually we wait for one third of the episode to pass before the murder is committed. Not here! So, in the opening sequence a murder victim has been buried, at her funeral another person is killed and by the ten minutes of the film we have four deaths. And lets say that's not all. Plus some cold cases that are connected.

It really adds suspense. Just like Hallowe'en Party, I have a feeling that if a director wanted to make a horror film, it could have been done with some very slight changes of perspective. You always have the feeling someone's gonna die. And usually they do. And the person or persons who did it all is completely different personality than you're used to as well.

Cast is excellent (like in all Marple/Poirot movies). I knew many of them: Benedict Cumberbatch from The Atonement, Sylvia Syms from The Queen, Lyndsey Marshal from Poirot: Cards on the Table, Shirley Henderson from Harry Potter and Anna Chancellor from Hitchhiker's Guide Through the Galaxy. Also, my new discovery was Margo Stilley, who is just too beautiful. Everyone did their best, so it was very nice seeing them in different roles.

As for those who say the movie has to be identical to the book, and that therefor this isn't Agatha Christie, I say: It says: BASED UPON, not literally copied. I loved all the books, but I also loved all the changes so far. Some of them are also modernizing it a bit, like opening some subjects that exist (and existed back then too), but were too much of a taboo for that time. I'm sure Agatha wouldn't mind people changing it a bit from time to time. This one is not an exception, it turned out just great.

If you love mysteries and/or horror, recommendation to see.