Customer Reviews

Agatha Christie - A Life in Pictures

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The '04 documentary style film `Agatha Christie - A Life in Pictures' provides a marginally interesting biography/psychological study of the famous English mystery novelist Agatha Christie. The film bounces back and forth through time to tell its story, featuring Oliva Williams and Anna Massey in the role of Agatha at different stages of life. The primary focus of the plot deals with Agatha's infamous eleven missing days of that baffled England and the apparent and convenient amnesia following her return.

In an attempt to add to the documentary feel of the feature the film switches to black and white during the recreated sequences involving the investigation and search for the missing literary icon as well as some of the scenes of her life discussed with a psychologist during treatment after her return to her family.

There are some intriquing aspects worthy for investigation into the author's life such as the reoccurring apparition of what she referred to as "the Gunman", but overall her life unfolds as a rather dull and gloomy existence. This isn't a bad film by any means, it's just something geared to a very select audience. Agatha Christie fans will no doubt love it.

My Rating: -3 ½ Stars.

We get an insight from her childhood played by Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter Films), her flirtatious days, her first marriage, her 11 day disappearance, and her second marriage. No longer is she the woman of mystery. Or does this just bring up more mystery and speculation?

The mid-age Christ1e is played by Olivia Williams (Anna Crowe in "The Sixth Sense") and the aged Christie was played by Anna Massey (Lady Bailey in "Possession".)

This film is a must for Christie fans and the curios alike. It holds your attention and you find yourself speculating and getting ahead of the story. The only drawback is the sound byte formula where they focus on one person or item no linger than five minutes and then cut to something else. Along with this is the back and forth through time gimmick where you start in the present and go back to her mid-age psychiatrist, then her childhood, then her disappearance, then her old age then, mid-age psychiatrist, and so forth.

Agatha Christie's Romantic Detectives (Tommy & Tuppence 1 & 2 / Why Didn't They Ask Evans? / Seven Dials Mystery / Agatha Christie A Life in Pictures)

In fact, I'm not even sure what they mean by "A Life In Pictures." I had hoped to see an in-depth portrayal of her life, but this docu-drama focuses mainly on Christie's psychological issues: haunting dreams she had in her younger years and her famous, mysterious disappearance. The filmmaker uses an interesting technique of telling the story in flashback from two different starting points: Christie in 1962 at the 10th anniversary celebration of her play "Mousetrap," and Christie in 1926 in a psychiatrist's office trying to piece herself together after the disappearance. The flashback events are depicted out of chronological order, so it's a bit confusing at times for those like myself who are unfamiliar with Christie's life.

Hardcore Christie fans will likely enjoy this psychological collage, but those wanting an informative essay on Agatha Christie may wish to look elsewhere.

I've always wondered about the 11-day disappearance of mystery writer icon Agatha Christie, and this dramatic rendition depicting that time was done extremely well. It's true to the facts, seriously creepy and quite sad. But of course, as with all her novels, ends the way it should. I loved it.

This movie is very interesting for any Agatha Christie fan but would be enjoyable even for a person who knows nothing of Agatha C. or her work. The story is set in the years around WWI and is a glimpse of England in those years.

This biopic of famous mystery writer Agatha Christie (written and directed by Richard Curson Smith) reflects credible research, though the production has its flaws. The focus is on Christie's eleven day disappearance, which was conveniently explained away by a bout of amnesia. Olivia Williams plays Christie in her 30's, though this is one of the flaws of the film. Williams' portrayal of Christie falls flat and is less than credible. The older Christie is played by Anna Massey, and Massey at least delivers a compelling performance. The production as a whole is quite dry and at 90 minutes, seemed a tad too long to me. What is unique here is the use of three distinct colors during the film - color (for present-day scenes), B&W, and a sort of sepia/faded tone (for the psychotherapy and reflection scenes). Is this worth a watch? Yes, if only because it does provide some insights into Christie's state of mind, for e.g. the flashback episodes reflect a conflicted, confused and emotionally disturbed personality. Fans of Christie might appreciate this but others may find the subject matter dry and uninteresting. I'd also recommend some books on the subject:

Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days
Agatha Christie at Home
Duchess of Death: The Biography of Agatha Christie