MovieChat Forums > The Witness for the Prosecution (2017) Discussion > Much too drawn out with agony piled on a...

Much too drawn out with agony piled on agony. spoiler


I do not rate Sarah Phelps's adaptations of others' books. This was a short story, clearly padded and far too long. She also did a lousy GREAT EXPECTATIONS, cutting out the comic characters and making Miss Havisham a wimpy spook rather than a vengeful virago. She also changed much of J K Rowling's THE CASUAL VACANY, to less than critical acclaim and was responsible for the ridiculous THE CRIMSON FIELD. Yes, she did an excellent version of AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, though probably now best known for a scene where Aidan Turner has to strip but overall I feel that she makes too many alterations and this was a classic case with a totally depressing ending, in which evil triumphed and the innocent suffered, not really in line with Agatha Christie's themes.

reply

It really was terrible. Some exasperating shortcomings in the screenplay especially. That the only way the could figure out how to resolve it was to have the two main characters bump into each other in the south of France was just appalling writing.

The Wilder film was far better.

reply