Agatha Christie – A Life In Pictures
(Part of the AGATHA
CHRISTIE – ROMANTIC DETECTIVES set)
Picture: B-
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Telefilm: B-
Acorn Media is on a roll with Agatha Christie product and
have assembled a new collection of previously released materials with a new
telefilm about Christie herself that will also be sold separately. We have covered the previous titles, as
follows:
Tommy & Tuppence – Partners in Crime
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2014/Tommy+&+Tuppence+-+Partners+In+Crime+(British+TV)
Seven Dials Mystery
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2013/Seven+Dials+Mystery+(1981/Agatha+Christie+Telefilm)
Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1574/Why+Didn't+They+Ask+Evans?+(British+Telefilm)
Now to A Life In Pictures, a 2004 British TV movie
with Christie (Anna Massey) playing her in later years and doing a rare
interview upon the tenth anniversary of The Mousetrap. Olivia Williams plays her in flashback,
which eventually covers some of the same ground Michael Apted’s 1979 feature
film Agatha with Vanessa Redgrave did when her disappearance in 1926 is
dealt with. Some questions are again
answered, while many others are again not.
It makes for some interesting storytelling, but is not as effective or
“innovative” as it thinks it is. Still,
it is worth seeing.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1/16 X 9 image is color
consistent enough, but detail is not absolutely great. However, it plays back just fine, though the
color may look a tad off at times. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no surrounds and regular Pro Logic will give you
distortion and spillover you do not need.
The only extras are a few stills of the real Christie and text
biographies of five of the cast members.
If after you read through all four reviews, then decide if the Romantic
Detectives set is for you.
Otherwise, they are all sold separately, so you can pick and choose at
will.
- Nicholas Sheffo