MovieChat Forums > The ABC Murders (2019) Discussion > Now on Amazon Prime, doesn't feel like P...

Now on Amazon Prime, doesn't feel like Poirot


Mild spoilers.
It's set much later than the original story which was 1936, this version is mid-50's would be my guess. The few and scattered art deco elements appear worn and out of date but modernism hasn't taken hold. If they said I missed it. Poirot is old, his friends are not around, he is no longer a celebrity, is unwelcome at police stations, and then he starts getting letters from a (soon to be) serial murderer. There is also a major change or new element to Poirot's background that doesn't fit with the character or contribute in any way to the story so it's a change for the sake of change. John Malkovich is a fine actor but this take doesn't feel like Poirot, there is only a passing nod to his careful grooming and almost none to his near OCD driven need for perfection. Poirot walks around like a man deep in the throws of depression, which works with changes to the story but not with the character we've come to know. And the mystery itself is rather blase as the killer is somewhat obvious if you consider motive which no one does until Poirot 'surprises' the audience, but that is an equal criticism to the original story.

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I'm going to steer clear of this one.

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Give it a shot. Who knows, you might enjoy it.

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I'll stick with what I said two years ago.

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Okay then.

Also, the "major change or new element to Poirot's background" mentioned by OP is just fine, since Poirot has always been an unreliable source when it comes to his own past.

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I beg to differ about the setting. It is definitely supposed to be the 1930s, even if some details may not be exact. The clothes, cars, and general aesthetic are definitely pre-war, not to mention the music.

And there was the anti-foreign "public mood" of the 1930s. This is evident in the series with the constant presence of the "British Union of Fascists," their logo being seen on those wall posters, picket signs on the ground, and the pin the train conductor/guard wore, and similar pin worn by Mrs. Kirkham, Poirot's neighbor. The BUF started in 1932 and was disbanded in 1940 because the government made it illegal.

And besides, the newspaper seen in episode 2, hot off the press, is clearly dated Tuesday, April 11, 1933.

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The 30's doesn't fit. Poirot fled Belgium during WWI, the original novels and tv series take place prior to WWII and he was still in his prime. In the 2019 tv version Japp has retired and Poirot is persona non grata at Scotland Yard and his fame has faded. If they did mean it to be in the 30s then the series is worse than I thought.

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It's a reimagining of the character. They changed his background and his age, putting him at retirement age in the 1930s. He already looks rather aged in the WWI flashback scenes.

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Yeah, don't we know who the killer is from the opening scene? What's the point of that? And, the whole thing seemed so depressing that I never went beyond the first episode.

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We think we know who the killer is, but we're wrong.

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Well, that's good to know! I will have to watch a different version of this.

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Just watched this. Thought it was excellent. The "change" to Poirot's backstory I thought fit the character surprisingly well. Not even sure if it's a change, as I don't think Agatha Christie delved too deeply into Poirot's past. It's more like an embellishment. Poirot seeming more depressed is something we've seen before with David Suchet's take on a more experienced and elderly Poirot towards the last few episodes of his extraordinary run.

I was really surprised at how good this is, given the rather middling reviews. It's absolutely gorgeously shot, too.

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