Customer Reviews

The Mirror Crack'd [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It's not big, it's not terribly clever, and it won't change the way anyone thinks about anything at all, but this 1980 version of one of Agatha Christie's less-loved novels of the same name is still an enjoyable tale of murder and gentle rebuke.

Set in a highly stereotypical American vision of the 1950's English countryside, the whole town is abuzz when Lola Brewster (Kim Novak) and Marina Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) take up residence to film a production of 'Mary, Queen of Scots'. When one of Ms. Rudd's long-time fans is murdered at a reception given for the Star, Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury) and her nephew Inspector Delbert Craddock (Edward Fox) investigate the crime.

Script and direction are nothing more than diverting, with a nod here and there to the likes of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis - the two movie Queens feud continually - and some extremely clever one-liners - Ms. Taylor's line about Doris Day takes on a whole new level of meaning, as her director husband Jason is played by Rock Hudson. As Christie's well-loved sleuth, Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple is amusingly self-depracatory in her role, claiming that not everyone who comes into contact with her winds up dead. She'll never be Joan Hickson, but in a film such as this, Lansbury's lighthearted and somewhat campy performance is perfectly pitched.

Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson do passable jobs in their respective roles as Producer and Director, and the supporting cast is nothing more than perfunctory (including a rare nonspeaking cameo from a VERY young Pierce Brosnan), but for all that, they hang together well enough as an ensemble.

The plot and subsequent climax are forgettable, but, as with the rest of the film, come with a gentle likeable atmosphere that saves them from being mundane.

If you can pick it up cheaply, then go for it, it's perfect Sunday afternoon viewing. In total, 'The Mirror Crack'd' is a sweet, campy film that unfortunately stays too close to 'Average' to be a definite recommendation.

Like many screen adaptations of Christie novels, THE MIRROR CRACK'D features an all-star cast--and in this case the casting would seem inspired: Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple, Rock Hudson as a film producer, Elizabeth Taylor as his movie-star wife, Kim Novack as a rival screen queen, and Tony Curtis as Novak's lover and the producer of the film they are all making. But director Guy Hamilton is more interested in having his cast offer star turns than in actually serving the story, and the result is a strangely uneven, extremely plodding film that only comes to life when Taylor and Novak square off in the series of hilariously written and performed cat-fights that run throughout the movie.

Part of the problem lies in the source material. THE MIRROR CRACK'D is one of Christie's lesser novels, written in a very sparse style and lacking Christie's usual knock-out solution in its story of a fan who drops dead of poisoning at a film star's reception. In order to flesh out the tale, the script piles extraneous scene upon extraneous scene--with the Taylor-Novak scenes a case in point: enjoyable as they are, they actually have little to do with the story and so tend to slow the film down. To make matters worse, the performances are extremely casual at best. Taylor and Novak are extremely enjoyable in their scenes together--but elsewhere they are merely adequate. Hudson and Curtis are flat. And Angela Lansbury, a normally brilliant actress, has one of her rare failures with the role of Jane Marple.

At most, this film is for viewers who want to be in on the last major cinematic gasps of Taylor, Novak, Hudson, and Curtis--and those who derrive a certain joy from evaluating the level of decay seen here in the aging cast. And most will enjoy seeing Taylor and Novak flog each other with nasty one-liners delivered with considerable flair. But cat-fight scenes aside, THE MIRROR CRACK'D is just one very mild meow.

I think Angela Lansbury is one of the world's great actresses, versatile with comedy, drama, and musicals, but though giving it her best effort, she's just not quite right for the frail, bright eyed Miss Marple in this adaptation of one of Miss Marple's lesser mysteries.

I say lesser because I was easily able to guess the killer despite a wide assortment of suspects, and when one is able to do this easily with Christie, something just isn't right.

The quality of the new DVD release of this 1980 film isn't in the same league with EVIL UNDER THE SUN and DEATH ON THE NILE either. The image is not as sharp as it should be nor are colors as vibrant as I was expecting. The mono sound is fine, the melancholy score adding immeasurably to the somber nature of the story as we delve deeper into untying the knots of the mystery. The supplements are skimpy to be sure.

Yes, there are changes from Christie's book, and the actors cast are a Who's Who of 1950's Hollywood, appropriate for the time period of the film (1953), but each one is overaged for his part by at least fifteen years. The star power is so great, however, that few will probably quibble. It's great to see some of these people in a big budget film one more time.

If you get this DVD, get it for the celebrated cast but be forewarned that the mystery is subordinate to the star wattage on display.

The team that that brought you Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile are putting their talents to the other great Agatha Christie sleuth, Miss Marple. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side was the best book to use the all star treatment.

St. Marysmead is being invaded by Hollywood. They are making a movie of Mary Stuart but the costars are bitter rivals. It all comes to a head when there is a murder attempt on the film's star Marina (Elizabeth Taylor) at a welcome party, just when her rival Lola (Kim Novak) enters. Instead of Marina, a village woman is killed.

Marina's husband Jason (Rock Hudson) is trying to keep the peace but a second murder attempt happens and Marina is completely unraveled. Of course there is always another murder - Agatha is never satisfied with just one! And like her counterpart, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury), collects the suspects and solves the mystery.

This film is pure camp and does not measure up with the two mention Poirot films but it's nice to see all the fading stars. This would be Rock Hudson's last film and it is fitting that his costar is his best friend, Liz Taylor. Also nice is to see Tony Curtis and Kim Novak in films again.

Even though the film was not a success, it did lead to Angela Lansbury's biggest success, Murder, She Wrote.

Just sit back and enjoy the film.

The original murder mystery by Agatha Christie was a very clever whodunnit. This film really loses all of the flavor of Christie's work, and turns the characters and plot into a campy cartoon of caricatures -- even Miss Marple isn't as sharp as she should have been. A lot of scenes are wasted and filled with pointless dialogue that really detracts from the story. I don't believe anyone watching this film could figure out the murderer from the 'clues' given. The director really missed the boat on this one. A far superior version of this appeared on British television.

An American movie production invades a small English town, and if that weren't enough to cause a disruption, murder comes with it. Once again, Miss Marple comes to the rescue, with her incredible knack for detail and deduction, as well as her understanding of human nature. Miss Marple is played by Angela Lansbury, who doesn't quite capture the famous character, but is entertaining in the role nonetheless. Rock Hudson is the director, Tony Curtis the producer, while Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak are the stars of the American production. Their performances are alright, with Novak seeming to have a lot of fun, but nothing special. Actually, that's part of the problem with the film - it's competently done, but nothing more. There's some good dialogue between Taylor and Novak, but on the whole, the film lacks energy. It could have been a lot better, although it is certainly watchable.

+++++

This movie is based on the 1962 novel entitled "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" by Dame Agatha Christie who wrote twelve Miss Marple murder mystery novels altogether. (The title of this particular novel comes from a line in a poem called "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.)

As a brief synopsis, an American movie company has come to a small English village where Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury) lives to shoot a movie. A famous movie actress has come out of long retirement (brought about by the death of her child) to be the lead in this movie. She has to act in this movie with another popular actress whom she despises. A murder soon occurs (call this the first murder). Miss Marple attempts to solve the crime with the aid of her "favorite nephew" Inspector Delbert Craddock (Edward Fox) and her maid Cherry Baker (Wendy Morgan). Eventually another murder occurs (call this the second murder). By the end of the movie a death occurs.

Who are the people associated with this movie? They are as follows:

(1) Ella Zielinsky, the production assistant (Geraldine Chaplin)
(2) Martin Finn, the movie's producer (Tony Curtis)
(3) Jason Rudd, the movie's director (Rock Hudson)
(4) Lola Brewster Finn, popular actress (Kim Novak)
(5) Marina Gregg Rudd, the famous actress who's come out of retirement (Elizabeth Taylor)
(6) Heather Babcock, devoted fan of Marina (Maureen Bennett, her movie debut)

I solved who was responsible for the first murder (actually it was a lucky guess) but had to wait for Miss Marple to tell me the motive for it. Miss Marple tells us the motive saying that she deduced this on something that was said by the murder victim earlier in the movie. I went back to this point in the movie and discovered that nothing that Miss Marple claimed was said was really said!! Instead, it seems to me that the murder occurred (as depicted in this movie) because the murderer assumed something. I had to ask myself, "Is assumption really a good motive for murder?"

As well, Miss Marple mentions nothing about the second murder in her deduction. The viewer can assume who did this murder but Miss Marple never tells us why it occurred. I thought this was a major oversight.

Finally, by the end of the movie, a death occurs. I was not sure whether this was a "compassionate" murder or suicide. The viewer is never told. Again, it's possible to assume what happened and to assume why this death occurred.

If you're like me and find murder mysteries based on assumption frustrating and perhaps unrealistic, then a good reason to see this movie is because of its legendary movie stars in it namely Angela Lansbury, Geraldine Chaplin, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Elizabeth Taylor. (They were all movie stars of the 1950s and 1960s.) Both Hudson and Taylor do good jobs in their roles. Curtis does a good job as the sassy and unlikable producer. Hudson made four movies after this one before his death from AIDS in 1985. Geraldine Chaplin is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin. Lansbury, Curtis, and Hudson are the same age in this movie, in their mid-fifties. Novak and Taylor were also about the same age, in their late forties. Novak made three movies after this one. (Also look for a young Pierce Brosnan in a thirty-second, non-talking role. This may have been his first movie appearance.)

I think Angela Lansbury does a good job portraying Miss Marple. (She even pulls off a somewhat shocking scene of Miss Marple smoking!) Unfortunately, we don't get to see her much. This movie may have been an audition for Lansbury's leading role in the long running television program "Murder She Wrote." (Also look for Angela Lansbury's fantastic job in the excellent murder mystery "Death on the Nile," 1978.)

Finally, the cinematography and music of this movie are well done. As well, all costumes are authentic looking.

In conclusion, Agatha Christie fans may be frustrated by this movie's murder mystery based on assumptions. However, if you do not care about the murder mystery, it's possible to watch this movie for the legendary movie stars.

(1980; 1 hr 45 min; widescreen; color)

+++++

A group of Hollywood actors and filmmakers (including Tony Curtis, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and Kim Novak) come to Miss Marple's small country village to shoot a movie, and needless to say, given the fact that this is based on an Agatha Christie novel, someone turns up dead. Miss Marple's nephew (Edward Fox), a Scotland Yard detective is called in to investigate, but as you would expect, he is assisted along the way by Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury).

I've seen many films and telemovies based on the novels of Agatha Christie, over the course of my life, but "The Mirror Crack'd" stands out as being one of the best. It is true that, plotwise, if you've seen one such mystery, you've seen them all, but this film stands out because (i) it is clearly made with a higher budget than most of these mysteries (which are usually made for television), and so has higher production values, (ii) there are actually enough clues given to the audience for them to solve the murder and (iii) the script is really funny. Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak, as two rival actresses, spend most of their screen time insulting each other and some of the insults that they sling are absolutely hilarious. These liven up the script no end and make this film a thorough pleasure to watch.

Angela Lansbury is not my favourite Miss Marple (that is still Margaret Rutherford), but she does a far better job of playing Miss Marple than many of the actresses who have come after her. My main criticism of Lansbury in this role is that she is too young for the part. When this film was made, Lansbury was only 59, so is buried under very heavy make-up in order to disguise this fact. Nevertheless, for fans of "Murder She Wrote" (which started four years after this film was made), Lansbury is already in "Jessica Fletcher" mode and this film can essentially be viewed as being another episode of this series, albeit a longer and better made one.

I've always had a warm affection for 1980's "The Mirror Crack'd", as being a fan of both Agatha Christie novels and murder mysteries in general I was prepared to like it anyway. However for me the main attraction is the wonderful cast of 1950's and 60's stars that have been gathered together for this movie with some of them only working with each other for the first time here in their long careers. It might not perhaps be the most engrossing or intriguing film based on a Christie novel but it is a lot of fun as fact and fiction are cleverly intermixed in the screenplay performed by some very high profile Hollywood stars of yesteryear. The legendary Agatha Christie character of Miss Marple has been played on screen by a battery of talented women over the years from Margaret Rutherford to Joan Hickson to Helen Hayes and most Agatha Christie fans are very definite about which actress in their opinion captured best the intrepid elderly sleuth. Here we have Angela Lansbury doing her one off interpretation of the character and while it may not be the best work of her career she erforms well in the role and she compliments the enjoyable performances of such legends as Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak and Tony Curtis to make "The Mirror Crack'd", a good if not great murder mystery.

Set in the 1950's the action takes place in the quaint English village of St. Mary Meade which is home to the renowned amateur detective Miss Jane Marple. An American film crew have arrived in the village to film "Mary, Queen of Scots", which is marking the much heralded return to the screen of Hollywood legend Marina Gregg (Elizabeth Taylor), after a long "illness". Excitment runs high in the village as the silverscreen celebrities begin arriving which include Marina's husband director Jason Rudd (Rock Hudson), the film's producer Marty Fenn (Tony Curtis), and his wife actress Lola Brewster (Kim Novak),an old rival of Marina's who is playing Queen Elizabeth 1st in the film. All starts out pleasantly enough when the American crew host a large reception at Gossington Hall inviting all the locals to meet the stars. One local named Heather Babcock (Maureen Bennett),is a devoted fan of Marina's and had actually met her during the war years. Invited to the reception she corners Marina and recounts in lengthy detail the meeting they had all those years ago. When the drinks are handed around however something goes seriously wrong as very soon Heather Babcock is dead from poisoning after having drunk from a glass originally intended for Marina. Having injured her foot at the reception Miss Marple is confined at home however the appearance of her nephew Insp. Delbert Craddock (Edward Fox)from Scotland Yard is most apt and she still involves herself in the case. The suspects in the supposed attempt on Marina Gregg's life pile up as Inst. Craddock interviews them one by one. Is it Jason's assistant the wily Ella Zielinsky (Geraldin Chaplin), who is secretly having an affair with Jason and would like Marina out of the way? Or is it the hot headed Lola Brewster who has a deep seated hatred for, and rivalry with Marina that goes back many years? Once production on "Mary Queen of Scots", begins Marina discovers that apart from threatening notes made up of newspapers clippings being sent to her, her tea on the set is also spiked with poison sending her into fits of terror. Things start to get very muddled when unexpectably the main suspect Miss Zielinsky is killed by a lethal nose spray. Miss Marple now back on her feet visits the house where Marina and Jason are staying and views the spot where Heather Babcock died. Working off some information given to her by cleaning girl Cherry Baker (Wendy Morgan), who was waitressing the day of the murder Miss Marple begins to piece together the events of the fatal meeting between Marina Gregg and Heather Babcock. Miss Marple works out that the wartime meeting between the two women had serious consquences on Marina's personal life as she was pregnant at the time and Heather had been suffering from German Measles so that when Marina's baby was born it was seriously retarded causing her to suffer a major breakdown. By the time Miss Marple is able to collect all this evidence that indicated who the actual murderer is another tragedy plays itself out at Gossington Hall which not only will put a stop to production of "Mary, Queen of Scots", which was to be Marina's triumphant return to the screen, but will also rather sadly close the case on who the mysterious murderer actually is.

Played out in an at times semi comical and nostalgic manner, "The Mirror crack'd", makes enjoyable viewing while never really taxing you on just who is the murderer on the film set in Miss Marple's village. Made at the height of the cinema release versions of some of Agatha Christie's novels such as "Murder on the Orient Express", and "Death on the Nile", these films were always characterised by their starry casts of Hollywood veterans and nowehere was this more evident than in "The Mirror Crack'd". The film actually marked a comeback of sorts for Elizabeth Taylor after almost four years away from the big screen since her last effort "A Little Night Music". Here she is reunited with her great friend and "Giant", costar Rock Hudson and while the two dont have the really meaty roles to work with here that they enjoyed in their earlier effort together both are fine. Elizabeth Taylor combines especially well with Kim Novak in the many very humourous cat fight scenes the two share as rival actresses. Novak steals every scene she is in in an hilariously over the top performance spewing out lines like "My Svengali!! (To Hudson), "Chin up darling, both of them!" (To Taylor) and "I see you haven't only kept your figure but you've added soooo much to it" (To Taylor). Not lines straight out of Christie perhaps but very enjoyable nevertheless. The whole film has a warm "old country" feel about it and Guy Hamilton who went on to direct some of the very successful James Bond films here works in a very leisurely style that never hinders the stars own personalities from coming through. Period detail is beautifully captured in the film however by the on location photography in Kent and great attention is paid to recreating the distinct fifties feel. The fact that all four major stars had some of their most sucessful acting years during that decade also gives "The Mirror Crack'd", a sort of autobiographical feel to it. The scenes detailing the filming of "Mary, Queen of Scots", are also of great interest in that Elizabeth Taylor shares a small scene supposedly while making the historical movie with a very young non speaking Pierce Brosnan in a bit part. The clever use of a black and white prologue where a film titled "Murder at Midnight" which stars some veterans of Bristish theatre is shown to the villagers also further cultivates that warm feeling of yesteryear so inherent in this film.

Is this the best film version of an Agatha Christie novel atempted by Hollywood or for that matter the best interpretation of the Miss Marple character on screen? Certainly it isn't but this movie does grow on you with each screening in particular if you are a fan of old Hollywood and the great stars of the Studio system like I am. The film really comes alive when Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak square off against each other and while their exchanges might not be what you expect from a murder mystery they really get the laughter going. Any Christie story is really worth seeing and despite its flaws "The Mirror Crack'd", makes enjoyable old style entertainment where murder mixes with laughs in a most pleasing manner.

Well, I actually liked this version of Agatha Christie's murder mystery, because it swayed from the pretentious. It was like wanting to see a great "cop" movie and got stuck watching "Police Academy." Honestly, there is no way this movie could be taken seriously, it was a joyfest for the aging movie stars to give it one last rumble.
A young celebrity fan gets caught up as the victim, by the murderer who discovers a hidden secret from them, that destroyed their life. However, the victim is meant to appear as a mistaken murder, with the murderer posing as the actual intended victim. Not a bad plot in reality, but lost in muddled star cameos. I hate to say it, but I entirely looked at this movie as a comedy, and glad I did. It worked better that way, than real mystery drama.