Miss Marple: A Pocketful of Rye (1985)

Admirable film.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Ah! Agatha Christie always loved using nursery rhymes in her novels, and A Pocket Full of Rye is no exception. There is a lot going on in this mystery when ex Fortescue dies in his office with seeds of rye found in his pocket. soon another death takes place, and then another. Miss Marple arrives as she trained the awkward girl Gladys as a servant - who, it seemed, tried to ring her up. Gladys really is the key to the whole mystery. Again we get glorious Joan Hickson playing the senior sleuth to perfection. e also get some truly good character acting turns from the likes of Tom Wilkinson(yes, the Academy Award Nominated actor who has now turned to major star) as, for a change, a nice police inspector who wants Miss Marple's help. Elderly, and I mean old looking, Fabia Drake with some great dialog as the deceased man's sister-in-law, and how about Selina Cadell(Mrs. Tishel from Doc Martin) as the house-manageress Miss Dove with some splendid dialog as well. This really is a very well-crafted murder mystery and generally well-directed version. I particularly liked the by-play between Miss Marple and Detective Inspector Neele.

I liked this "Pocket Full of Rye" with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. I have seen the one with Geraldine McEwen which I think is a great Miss Marple but the movies are put together different and I liked this one better.One actor who I like is Peter Davison, at first I did not recognize him. Peter plays Lance son of the father that is rich and is murdered. This is a 1985 movie and Peter Davison plays in "The Last Detective" a series on British TV in which he is a detective and also plays in a series called "Campion".As in most Agatha Christies stories there are a lot of knots to tie to find out who the killer or killer are. This is one of those movies.I enjoyed it.

This is one of my favourites of the Hickson Miss Marple series. Miss Marple is alerted to goings on at Yew Tree Lodge by an ex maid, Gladys but by the time she gets there, there have been three murders already including Gladys herself! The nursery rhyme of the title is largely irrelevant but the story is well plotted and the conclusion satisfying. I don't feel enough is made of the plight of the pathetic Gladys - the book does this so much more effectively and you really end up hating the murderer as a result but apart from that it's pretty good. The cast here is generally excellent. Tom Wilkinson is one of the better accompanying detectives and there are good turns from Stacy Dorning as the airhead second wife, Rachel Bell as the childlike Jennifer and Peter Davison as the charming Lance. Miss Marple finds a kindred spirit in the formidable Miss Henderson of Fabia Drake. My favourite though is Selina Cadell's Mary Dove - exactly as I pictured her in the book! A satisfying mid series entry.

Probably the least interesting of the BBC TV adaptions; and one of the few unavailable on DVD for some reason. The only really entertaining parts come from the formidable elderly actress Fabia Drake, who plays "Miss Henderson". She wanders around making stern condemning comments; the best comes when the ditzy young blonde wife makes a comment about going to the Clubhouse (located on a nearby golf-course as I recall). Miss Henderson gives a loud sniff, and mutters "Clubhouse! .... WHOREhouse!" which always leaves me in stitches. Otherwise its not that memorable; I can't recall if the book itself was very interesting to begin with. Its fun to see Tom Wilkinson in a younger role.