Customer Reviews

Poirot - Murder on the Links

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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A wealthy millionaire is found stabbed in the back in a bunker on his golf course, Poirot is betting his moustaches against the second-most arrogrant and clever detective in France, and Hastings has actually fallen in love...with someone that loves him as well?

Murder on the Links is great for several reasons. First, Poirot. Here we see his annoyance at golf (a great scene is when Poirot finds out which hotel they are staying at), his compassion for his friend Hastings, his persistence (thinking through everything and hanging on as long as possible without destroying even one hair on his moustache), his brilliant reasoning (of course) and his love for matchmaking.

Hastings. He has fallen in love several times, but this time he has actually found an interesting catch. Will this love affair actually work out? And at what lengths will he go to protect her?

The mystery is quite ingenious. I remember watching this and classifying it as one of the best Poirot's I had ever seen, and definitely one of the best murder mystery movies I have ever seen. This time, Poirot has very little evidence to go on and nothing to convict the murderer. Catching the killer takes an ingenious move on his part. Some complain that you cannot determine who it is. Personally, I believe it is doable. The first time I saw this mystery, I was definitely surprised by who did it.

The acting (on all sides) is superb. The costumes and scenery are terrific. Overall "Murder on the Links" is a great Poirot mystery.

I was very clever this time, I had the whole thing figured out fairly early on...or so I thought! Absolutely nothing is as it seems when Poirot and Hastings take a holiday to a quaint coastal town in France and - shocker - get embroiled in a most puzzling murder.

Most Poirot mysteries have twists, turns, and your classic Christie red herrings, but this episode was extraordinary. And - not to say too much - this time things hit a little too close to home, and the result is something much more poignant and moving than I had expected.

The scenery is wonderful, the acting as always is top-notch, and for once the perfectly brilliant David Suchet is almost upstaged by Hugh Frasier.

With a diverse cast of characters, a very daring wager with a belligerent French detective, a plot that twists so much it makes your head spin, and an ending that just makes you want to stand up and applaud, this is Poirot (and Hastings) at their absolute best.

Almost as good as The ABC Murders. And that says a great deal!

<Murder on the Links> This is it! The last of the longer Poirot mysteries is now available on DVD and VHS formats (as are the last three of the shorter ones on VHS), thereby completing the Acorn Media releases of the entire series (except for those later ones issued on the A&E label).

Although the acting is (as almost always in this series) superb, the solution itself does stretch credulity a little too much. The "crowded murder scene" is a standard of many mysteries as is the "But I thought YOU did it" situation in which characters cover for other characters and false confessions are rife.

Christie also strains things a bit by having one set of characters repeat a setup done a decade earlier by another set of characters--I am trying not to give too much away by naming any of them--and hoping that certain parties would be fooled by the ruse. At least the real murderer does come as something of a surprise.

What adds spice to this story is the subplot of an egotistical French detective whose motto is "I am never wrong" betting his famous pipe against Poirot's mustache. And for once, good old Hastings is not only attracted to a femme fatale but actually ends up in love with her--and she with him.

So all in all, this episode is a good deal of fun without too much padding as sometimes is the case in the longer episodes.

David Suchet is flawless in this VERY well presented Agatha Christie mystery! A real fine whodunit for the entire family. This one is extremely well directed and produced and will take you into a veritable maze of twists and turns right up to Poirot's final discovery! Order it...you'll have it in about 3 business days and you will rate it amongst the very highest of all mysteries ever filmed! On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate this a 9+ for sure!
MC

This is a fine example of David Suchet and Hugh Frasier at their very best. High drama and poignant, touching moments. The only thing missing is an appearance by Ms. Lemon and Inspector Japp.

This episode contains some of the best acting of the entire series. As compelling as my other favorite epsiode - The Chocolate Box.

If you like David Suchet as Poirot - get this video!

This dramatization of the Murder On The Links could hardly be any better. The acting is the finest, especially by Hugh Fraser in the character of Hastings. Lots of Agatha Christie fans have rated that story as being one of the best and most touching and the TV adaptation has not let us down. Naturally, as in all Poirot adaptations, lots of details have been changed, modified or added - some things are missing, too. Yet these can't make the movie less good, as it's as though you were getting to know the story all over again. The production is crisp and the settings lavish. All in all, the best of all Poirot mysteries.

"Murder on the Links" is a feature-length episode from "Agatha Christie's Poirot" Series 6, which originally aired on Britain's ITV in 1996. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) and Capt. Hastings (Hugh Fraser) are vacationing in Deauville, France, where Poirot looks forward to the cuisine and Hastings to the golf. One evening, as Hastings is transfixed by the pretty chanteuse (Jacinta Mulcahy), the man who owns the resort, Paul Renauld (Damien Thomas), approaches Poirot to ask his assistance. But before they can visit Renauld the next day, he is abducted from his home and found murdered on the golf course, a knife in his back. France's greatest detective, Giraud "The Pipe" (Bill Moody) is on the case and wagers that he can find the killer before the Belgian does.

Agatha Christie's novel "Murder on the Links" was published in 1923, but this film has been moved to 1936 in keeping with the television series' chronology. The key to solving the mystery is in a crime from the past, which is not unusual in Christie's stories. But this one may be unique in that Capt. Hastings tries to cover up for a murder suspect with whom he is smitten. It's not clear how the audience is supposed to take that. It's unethical and potentially disastrous, not traits I usually associate with Capt. Hastings. The blustery, boorish Giraud provides some colorful competition for Poirot. And there is plenty of humor to be found in the dapper detective's juxtaposition with the more athletic tourists. "Murder on the Links" has high entertainment value.

The DVD (Acorn 2002): The disc includes the usual Collector's Set bonus features -a text interview with David Suchet, a brief Agatha Christie bio, a list of Poirot books. It also has selective filmographies for 4 members of the cast, 10 Poirot trivia questions with answers, a "Who's Played Poirot?" essay, and 4 Poirot quotes. No subtitles.

I'm getting the entire series - bit by bit. That's how much I like Suchet and Poirot.

David Suchet is the perfect Poirot! I've read all of Agatha Christie's Poirot novels and Suchet fits him to the T!! Suchet's Poirot mannerisms are so unique I never tire of seeing him in this character! I have several of the TV episodes on dvd as well as some of the hour long features. They are all wonderful! Character, plot and dialog are sooo much more interesting than gore and explosions presented as entertainment in so many American films. Poirot is a welcome treat for the senses!

I actually figured this one out, but not completely, in all the details. Indeed, I'll challenge anyone to sort out that "Charlie Foxtrot". The basic "whodunit" solution is easy enough though. Great characters and inner story, and subplot between the two detectives.

There is one problem--SLIGHT SPOILER--there is no way a sane human being would use such a knife in committing that murder, pointlessly narrowing the net of suspicion to an immense degree. Any murder weapon would have done the trick. If you overlook that, the mystery is rather perfect. But as it is, it presents a glaring error.