Plot: What’s it about?
The master detective Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) plans to enjoy a peaceful, serene holiday, until his heat shuts off. The boiler in his flat has broken down, leaving him in the cold on one of the chilliest of evenings. So when a wealthy client phones and needs holiday service, Poirot agrees, since the man’s house has central heat. As he arrives at the mansion and is briefed, he learns that the old man has some grown children, none of whom can stand him. But since he is rich and is bound to leave his fortune to someone, they all tolerate him and put on a good show, at least until his backed is turned. As he knows the love from them is false, he wants to shake them up and teach them a lesson, for their schemes and lies. But as it unfolds, someone else in the house also has a plot to hatch and since both could turn lethal, someone is certain to end up dead. Can Poirot piece together this twisted family puzzle in time to save the entire ship from going under, or will someone’s ruthless plan unfold and net them the old man’s reserves?
This feature length Poirot escapade is a good one, one of the better ones I’ve seen, though I haven’t seen too many of them at this point. The characters are well written and played, but the suspense is downplayed at times, not sure why though. This means the suspects don’t always seem too suspect, if that makes sense. In other words, the mysterious nature of things isn’t too mysterious, but this is still a more than solid installment. So you’re thinking, this is a mystery without mystery and this guy thinks it’s good? I know it sounds strange, but the premise and a few of the performances were enough to make this worthwhile for me. I was let down by the amount of suspense and the end sequence, but on the whole, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas is decent. I liked it much less the second time around, but the first time through, I was more than entertained. As such, I am unsure of how much replay value this release has, even to fans of the series. In the end, I recommend a rental to most viewers, but if you’re a diehard fan of the Poirot series and can handle this one, then a purchase might make sense in your case.
Video: How does it look?
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. The image here is stable, but fails to reach the usual standards we’ve come to expect. But given the nature of the material, some slack should be given and as such, I won’t be too hard here. The print shows some nicks and debris, but looks clean most of the time. The colors are intentionally subdued, to help set a distinct visual tone, so don’t be surprised there. The contrast is shaky at times, with some instances where blacks are too dark, but on the whole, the balance is solid. This is not a pristine presentation, but I think fans will be able to overlook the flaws, as the image is still more than watchable, without a doubt.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 track is minimalist in all respects, but thankfully, so this the material it presents. As with most of Poirot’s mysteries, this one packs a soft audio punch, with the real focus on dialogue and little else. I found no flaws in terms of vocals in the least though, the dialogue is clean and always at proper levels. The other elements sound decent, but since they’re not emphasized by the material, you can only expect so much.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, text information on Christie’s work, some Poirot quotes, and of course, a round of Hercule Poirot trivia.
