Five Little Pigs (2003)

From the very start of this film (for this is what it is), it is fairly apparent that something has changed since the previous season – but even more so since the days when Poirot was a season of 8 or so 1 hour long episodes. Here we have something that looks like event television and is much more of a film made for TV than it is a TV episode.The visual appearance is the first clue, but the darker tone and significantly reduced comedy element also come into this as well. The plot is a bit stiff at first; being used to more preamble, the device of a woman asking Poirot to investigate the murder of her father, and the conviction and execution of her mother for the crime – well, it seems a bit pat and rushed at first. What it does allow is a mystery that is still about Poirot investigating and deducing, but is also about the people in the mystery – they are not just characters acting as a prop for Poirot, but they are within their own story, separated from him. This approach means that we have the unusual situation of the majority of the supporting cast having more screen time than Poirot himself it seems, but yet it works. And, as much as I like Hastings and Japp, thankfully there was no attempt to force them into this story where they did not fit (although the success of that approach here makes me wonder if they will return soon).The mystery is nicely layered and delivered so that we have multiple versions and perspectives, all with some unique detail and presentation that may or may not be true. It is engaging and satisfying to have the picture built up, but even more satisfying to see Poirot see the trees from the wood. The conclusion is well handled and, although it has a bit of melodrama, it is satisfying and convincing. Less convincing are some aspects that I did think could have done with a rethink or more work. The dark tone and the "importance" of the film is perhaps a bit too laid on, particularly in the early stages before the story gets going. The flashback sequences are also delivered in a way that lacks refinement – the different color palette I understand (although it is obvious as a tool), but I disliked the hand-held camera within this – luckily it is worst early on, so later uses do not feel so bad. I guess it is meant to put us in the moment – but it does not.The cast are very good. Although I missed Suchet's very deft comic touch, he is very sharp here, and I liked the return of his indignation – something not seen for a while in this way. The supporting cast are roundly good and features a surprising amount of famous faces (and, crucially, a member of the cast of The Wire, which always makes me take note). Gillen, Stirling, Stephens, Warren, Mullins, Winkleman (Big Suze!), Jones, Cox, and generally everyone is very good; there are some aspects where I thought they could have played it harder or different, in order to make some plot aspects work (less attraction between the couple for example) but it all works, and there are nice interesting subtexts to some characters that the cast bring out.So a more serious outing, with more cinematic approaches in location and design, but also one that comes with a strong mystery which is well structured and delivered. It may not produce some of the aspects I like about the ITV series thus far, and not all that it does really works as it should, but overall it is one of the more engaging and satisfying for what it does.

What is to say? One of the best of Christies' novels adapted as close to the original story as possible, if you neglect the homosexual stuff. Some minor flaws (esp. the age and looks of Julie Fox) have been mentioned elsewhere. But if you don't like this one, I gather you're not able to appreciate any Christie at all. "Five Litte Pigs" is on the very top rung and maybe the most touching Christie of them all. Anyone is allowed to cry out loud even though most are engaged in solving the mystery.David Suchet makes one of his most convincing performances here and as many other states, Rachel Stirling is unbelievably good as Caroline Crale. Any man with a touch of "gentle" in his blood would fight for this woman until his death.. some clue to the denouement might be stated here!

Unlike some of the adaptations of Christie' s Poirot, this was very true to the novel. There were a few melodramatic moments in this production that were not true to the novel but they were minor.This is one of the Christie novels where the characterizations were at the heart of the tale. The close-up of all the major characters showed not only how much they suffered from the events of the past but how hollow they had become. It seemed, even in death, the husband and wife were more dynamic than those who orbited around them.The acting was fabulous and Suchet' s Poirot showed subtlety and charm and happily, few of the affectation s he sometimes employed with his quarry and I think Rachael Stirling,as Caroline Crayle was first among equals.This show affected me greatly and won't soon be forgotten.

Finally! I've now seen all of the feature length installments of the Poirot movies featuring David Suchet. And wouldn't you know it – the last one I watch just happens to be one of the best of the entire series.Five Little Pigs, which happens to benefit from staying fairly true to Agatha Christie's original work (at least as best as I can remember), is a poignant, gut-wrenching, and beautifully filmed movie. As Christie did in her novel, the mystery is told though a series of five interviews that flashback to that fateful day when a murder was committed. Director Paul Unwin handles this portion quite nicely. I was worried about all the hand-held shaky-cam, but it works well for the iffy memories of events of fourteen years previous. Even though I knew the outcome, I thought the mystery elements were well done. I think someone without knowledge of the plot would really enjoy this part of Five Little Pigs. The acting, other than the abysmal performance of Aimee Mullins as the adult Lucy, is more than acceptable. By now (or by 2003 at least), Suchet has grown in the role of Poirot to the point that I cannot imagine anyone else even attempting to do the character. Two other real highlights for me were the music (it's quite beautiful) and the photography (there are some gorgeous landscape shots throughout the movie). All together, an 8/10 seems about right by me. Had the adult Lucy not been so distractingly poorly played, I could have easily rated Five Little Pigs higher.