Appointment with Death (1988)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is not one of Agatha Christie's better whodunits. Still, it's set in an interesting locale. And it's got Peter Ustinov. So for those two reasons the film is worth watching, once.Apart from Ustinov, however, casting isn't very good. Secondary actors and their performances are rather bland and uninteresting. Younger females tend to have similar looks. Lauren Bacall looks too old for the role she plays. David Soul has got to be one of the most boring actors I have ever watched. And Piper Laurie, normally a fine actress, overacts here, possibly due to poor direction.But the worst element of the casting is what made the old "Murder, She Wrote" television series so disappointing. In those shows, the murderer was almost always played by the actor who ... To say more would be to give away too much for this film.Cinematography is acceptable, though nothing special. Period-piece costumes and production design are adequate. But the score is dreadful. It lacks style; it's nondescript, something seemingly put together quickly, or cheaply.Set mostly in the Middle East near the Dead Sea in the 1930s, the story unites an archaeological expedition with murder. A wealthy but grumpy old woman takes her brood along and they predictably encounter Poirot. A murder occurs, and Poirot solves it. The formula is the same as for most other Christie whodunits. This one lacks artistic flair and eloquence. Though worth watching once, it's no match for earlier Agatha Christie films.

Simply because the personality of the actors and actresses are world-renown and well-regarded, it does not automatically spell out a good film. Instead, I find this film awkward, unrealistic, with embarrassing results in both acting and directing. While "Murder On The Orient Express" being first-rate, "Death On The Nile" being grossly entertaining, "Evil Under The Sun" and "The Mirror Crack'd" highly skillfully-told and adapted, this film becomes much too embarrassing to be included in that prestigious list. This is, I believe, a Michael Winner's work in his declining years. His eyesight must have been poorer, and his patience of getting one right take must have been paler. So many scenes are way too superficial, half-cooked, and simply unsatisfactory. The emotions portrayed are unsteady, wavering, and miss-matched. Piper Laurie as Emily Boynton is superior than others, but still much in the mud. Peter Ustinov, with his usual skilled self, is not in any way damaged, but even his performance has failed to rescue the film. The great John Gielgud is too old to even walk properly. Lauren Bacall's star aura is completely wasted. Same as David Soul and Carrie Fisher, who are not bad actors at all in other films. This Agatha Christie's adaptation is neither exciting nor grabbing. The solution at the end fails to give any impression. Even the music score is misplaced and damaging to the mood of the film. In short, it is a complete failure as an adaptation of a world-famous novel, and a major blemish to the otherwise splendid career of Mr. Winner.

Peter Ustinov is the best Poirot since Poirot has been on film. Even though Agatha Christie says she pictured Poirot more like Albert Finney in Murder On The Orient Express, Ustinov is much less annoying and a lot more fun. He's sarcastic and funny and pulls the best Belgian accent i've ever seen. These movies have amazing plots(thanks to Dame Christie :)) and the casts are outstanding. For all you Christie readers, these are the best Poirot movies out there. I suggest you see them in order(even though you don't have too, it makes them even better. Albert Finney did it good, David Suchet did disgustingly and Peter Ustinov did it amazing.

Peter Ustinov is an absolute joy to behold in the role of Hercule Poirot! He played Poirot in three theatrical films: Death On the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, and Appointment With Death. He also played Poirot in three TV movies: Thirteen At Dinner, Murder in Three Acts, and Dead Man's Folly. It's always a delight to spend time with Ustinov's Poirot. He's so much fun! The three Poirot TV movies starring Ustinov are now available in a three DVD set. I've had a great time watching these with friends and family and all of Ustinov's Poirot movies are worth watching and re-watching. My deep affection for Ustinov's Poirot grows with each viewing. He's brilliant and each of his Poirot movies are fantastic fun!