A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED

UK, 2005, 94 minutes, Colour.

Geraldine McEwan, Zoe Wanamaker, Alexander Armstrong, Cherie Lunghi, Robert Pugh, Keeley Hawes, Claire Skinner, Frances Barber, Elaine Paige, Matthew Goode, Sienna Guilleroy, Catherine Tate, Christian Rubeck, Christian Coulson, Gerard Horan, Virginia McKenna

Directed by John Strickland.

A Murder is Announced had been filmed with Joan Hickson. This version with Geraldine McEwan was directed by John Strickland (who made other Marple films and Poirot). As with the other films with Geraldine McEwan, there is a very large supporting cast of British character actors, focusing on Zoe Wanamaker, with celebrated singer, Elaine Paige, as her companion, a cameo by the elderly Virginia McKenna, and prominent actor and television personality, Alexander Armstrong, especially with the popular TV quiz, Pointless, as DI Craddock.

There is newsreel footage of the death of a banker opening the film, the action taking up 10 years later with the announcement of a murder to take place in the local paper, there are members of the village reading and curious, and the home where the murder is to take place, with Letty, Zoe Wanamaker, and her companion, Bunny, Elaine Paige. A crowd turn up for the murder, the lights go out, there are shots, a would-be burglar, who works at the local hotel, is shot dead and Letty is wounded.

Miss Marple is on holiday at the hotel where the DI arrives, wary of her comments but eventually working with her and relying on her. There are plenty of suspects in the village, Robert Pugh as a disgraced Colonel with his theories, his relationship with an older woman, Cherie Lunghi, a lesbian couple, Claire Skinner and Frances Barber, suspicious guests staying with Letty.

As always, the solution is ingenious, mixed identities – and the revelation of the unexpected murderer.

1. The popularity of Agatha Christie novels and films? Miss Marple? The three actresses? Geraldine McEwan with a touch of the fey and the nosy?
2. The supporting cast, large cast of expert British actors?
3. The prologue, the death of the banker, celebrated in Wall Street, the Scottish background, his widow and the Castle, her fortune? The significance for the drama and the crime?
4. The range of characters in the village, 10 years later, reading the paper, the advertisements, the announcement of the murder, the fascination, melodramatic responses?
5. The home where the murder was to take place, Letty, Bunny as her companion, their life together, curiosity concerning the advertisement? Everybody turning up, the time, the lights going out, the criminal and his gun, his command, the shot, the lights coming on, his death, the gun with him, Letty and her wound and blood? The bewildered response?
6. DI Craddock, his associate, arrival, at the hotel, the encounter with Miss Marple, his thinking she was an old biddy, the story about the murdered man, his work at the desk at the hotel, Swiss background, the maid and friendship? Her continually turning up, Craddock initially ignoring her, coming to rely on her, the discussions, the solution, her continued suggestions? His visit to Scotland, the widow, ill, dying? Her husband’s will, bypassing his alienated sister, her criminal husband, disappearance, her two children and the inheritance?
7. The range of characters in the village, all at the time of the murder? Suspects, stories?
8. Colonel Easterbrook, his theories, expounding them, his drinking, his talking with Edward, the relationship with Sadie, his treating her badly, his giving her the vegetables, her bringing fruit? Stealing the lamb in the shop? The relationship? The investigation, in India, his violence, drinking, out of the Army, divorced, his daughter, taking refuge in the village, and his declaration for Sadie?
9. The brother and sister boarding with Letty, their alleged connection, her noticing that they were not brother and sister? Motivations? Alibis? Ultimate revelation of the truth?
10. Mrs Haymes, her son, boarding with Letty, her harsh reaction against the police questioning?
11. Amy and Lucy, the relationships, Amy and the bond with Miss Marple, her coming to stay with them, Lizzie tough, hard work with the farm, Amy and her flightiness? The fact that she was behind the door when the torch went over the room, and not remembering who was absent, her finally remembering, her being strangled? Lizzie’s grief?
12. Mitzi, her place in the household, antagonisms, motivations, her final behaviour with the knife?
13. The murdered young man, petty thief, working at the hotel, changing Miss Marple’s cheque?
14. Miss Marple and the revelation, the sadness of Bunny’s final party, dress, tablets, death?
15. The story of Letty and her doctor father, strict, her sister and her illness, Letty as assistant for so many years to the millionaire, expectations of some kind of inheritance? Her sister’s death? After her being killed? The irony of Charlotte assuming Letty’s identity, with a knowledge of money, moving to England, awaiting the death of the wife, the mystery of the missing twins, her motivation, money? The dropping of her pills and gathering them?
16. Her motivation, getting the young man to announce the murder, tampering with the electricity wires for the blackout, the Colonel’s gun, the closed room, the door opening, the table moved, her exit, shooting the young man, wounding herself?
17. The revelations about the twins, the expectation of a man and woman, the two women, Philippa Haymes?
18. Agatha Christie and her ability to divert audience attention? Playing with identities?