Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (2013)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

The Worst Film Ever

Absolutely the worst movie.

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

I feel so disappointed with Poirot being a murderer that I cannot aprove this episode. Jamais, mes amis, would Poirot take justice into his hands. I do not find this to be according to his character. And he commits suicide after? But then I realized it was Agatha Christie's decision. And has the story sinks in - I just saw it for the 1st time - I start to gradually be more acceptable towards it all. A killer that never actually kills but is most deadly effective... Police could not legally have done a thing to stop him.Yet, Poirot's little gray cells should have provide him with much better ways to have the evil man rightfully punished without resourcing himself to murder! A DUEL OF MINDS... Poirot could have led the other into an act his true character would be exposed or play with him until he harms no one but himself. That way the death would be by the killer's won hands, not by Poirot's! But that was not Agatha's choice. Being able to write this much adventures for one character must have been very challenging. It was time to Poirot to retire... in a big Bang.I guess that is exactly what happen.Production wise, this episode is as perfect has every previous one. This is one of the most agreeable detective period series ever being made. Lovable scenery, wardrobe, locations, colors, traditions reconstitution... There's a delightful parallel were the audience finds a very old Poirot in a wheelchair, not able to walk and very sick. But the mansion he gets in is has bad has he is. The settings are according to the end of it all. Winter time, rain, huge old mansion, greyish, empty, decrepit... Beauty has seen better days around there. Yet somehow that place still has the ability to take your breath away. You start to wonder what to be that old must be like. To the little gray cells...And that is why I conclude Poirot becoming a murderer just maybe justifiable. That much older and sick I do not know what it feels like. Maybe its plausible. A big part of me still finds it out of character and I'm guessing a religious person has he was would not enjoy opening the way to the «other side» with a fresh murder followed by his own suicide.Plot wise, Agatha's story feels less real because it seems to me people would not be so naive towards such manipulation of their minds, since some where quite suspicious. The way old Poirot ends up drugging a person is also very easy. I was enjoying watching Poirot again.

As a reader of Dame AC for 76 years I always found HP difficult. For me, Suchet's triumph - genius - is in constructing a reality from an impossibility. As for Curtain, it is no surprise that the author delayed publication for 30 years, almost until after her death. Poirot and Hastings have aged beyond recognition and several devices in the novel would appear to be stolen from other stories except that it is actually the other way round. Chandler would probably have called it a reverse cannibalization. The author appears to have taken a strong dislike for her creation and takes her revenge not only on him but on Hastings too who is treated with contempt by both the detective and the daughter. I suspected what my impression would be and should have avoided seeing the production but my curiosity as to how Alice Orr-Ewing would portray Judith was too strong. Curiosity killed the cat.

I am someone who has enjoyed many of Poirots episodes. The calm tone, good acting and decent dialogue had made it something that I was looking forward to watching. The final episode does not do any justice to the series. The lighting and decor appear to be purposefully bleak and depressing (unlike most other episodes where the color interplay always involves some strong nice colors as well). The plot and ultimate ending are simply unbelievable. Moreover, in my opinion this episode possibly casts a shadow over the morality of both Poirot and Hastings. There is other stuff too going on in this episode that is hardly worth mentioning simply because none of the characters seemed to have any particularly redeeming qualities. They were all kind of bland like the lightning and decor. All in all, very disappointed...

I loved the storyline and it worked quite well - to a point. The setting, however for me was really mundane and drab. The support cast besides Norton were uninteresting and their characters were not developed at all therefore leaving me with zero empathy for any of them. I would really have loved to have seen Ms Lemon and Jap in the final episode. They were sorely missed. Could they not have extended the episode by ten minutes and covered a memorial at least where we could have seen some emotion from them? Or at least give us, the viewer a chance to say adieu? There was little or no emotion and I actually felt at the end... "meh" I was astounded at how badly Poirot treated Hastings in this final episode! He treated him with the utmost contempt and was unnecessarily cruel towards him. Basically, I thought for a final episode, it missed a great opportunity to let us, the viewer feel saddened by the death of Poirot. Alas, I will miss the old Poirot....not the nasty mouthed bitter old man he turned into. I found myself feeling sorry for Hastings and peeved off with Poirot!