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This quirky tale of Dame Agatha Christie's eleven-day disappearance in December1926 is a speculative account of the mystery, combining a romantic interlude, suicide attempt and desperate race to avert the loss of the world's most popular `Queen of Crime'. The film is not exactly in the style of a Christie plot or typical of one, as there are none of the trademark multiple corpses that usually litter her storylines.

With her marriage on the rocks after being asked for a divorce, following closely upon the death of her mother, Agatha Christie seeks refuge from her coldly indifferent husband (a very apt Timothy Dalton), in the North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate. With the whole country looking for her, Dustin Hoffman is the American reporter, writing for an English paper, who finds, and then seeks to help, her. The difference in stature between the leading protagonists makes for an amusingly incongruous sight on the dance floor, and wisely the invitation to dance the Charleston together is declined. Although Dustin Hoffman's strident journalist strikes a jarring note, Vanessa Redgrave sensitively displays a troubled, if rather elegant, Agatha Christie.

Helen Morse (Picnic at Hanging Rock; Caddie) is delightful as Evelyn Crawley who befriends Agatha, and is very discriminating in her choice of men, making an interesting observation on the unrealistic expectation (by both sexes) of men's fidelity, when she sagely states `Hardly seems worth it. Men change so, that's why choosing is important. Well we can't just let things happen to us.' The fine talents of Timothy West are also involved as the diligent deputy chief constable who withstands Colonel Christie's attempts to quash the hunt for his wife.

When, as expected, her husband's mistress also arrives in Harrogate, Agatha, who had been using her surname as a pseudonym whilst unconvincingly trying to pass herself off as a widow recently returned from South Africa, begins to plot an elaborate revenge. A large part of the film is given to scene setting with nice observations of English class snobbery and a time past. The final part of the film then changes gear from its languorous pace and moves into thriller mode with a race against time.

A fine sense of period detail and Vittorio Storaro's beautifully crafted cinematography enhance this film, with its gentle evocation of the 1920's gentility taking the spa waters for the relief of their multifarious ailments. The famed Victorian architecture borrows from Bath as well as Harrogate, along with York's railway station, and the Old Swan Hotel and Royal Baths are given full promotional treatment.

Although Agatha Christie returned to her husband her marriage finally ended two years later.

In the UK video copies are available through Blackstar and Amazon.

It's a famous real life case. Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in December 1926. For some, she never explained it convincingly and this is a fictional account of those days. Col. Archibald Christie (Timothy Dalton) asks his wife Agatha Christie (Vanessa Redgrave) for a divorce so that he can marry his secretary Nancy Neele. Agatha is under tremendous stress and desperate to keep her husband. When American reporter Wally Stanton (Dustin Hoffman) arrives at her doors for a scheduled interview, the colonel sends him away. Agatha's abandoned car is later found and the search is on.

The fictionalization gives the scriptwriter a blank slate. It could have gone a million different ways from the outlandish to the poignant. This doesn't do much of anything and that is the most disappointing aspect. I don't care about Stanton or the Colonel or the search. I would love to follow only Agatha but she just spends her time at a spa. It's probably the least intriguing destination although it's fun to have her do research during her stay. I don't find her budding relationship with Stanton based on mutual lies that compelling. Despite the great acting power available, it's not until well into the second half before something interesting happens.

The title of this English movie refers to one of the world's most famous writer, Agatha Christie, who, in 1926, left her home without warning and created a public speculation about her fate. The director, Michael Apted, gives us a great amount of solemnity, using it to balance with the most trivial of human behaviors. Dustin Hoffman is rather theatrical in his portrayal of a famous journalist that falls in love with the fragile and dependent writer and Vanessa Redgrave captures perfectly the loss and solitude of the character. And suddenly, when the movie itself was imbued in its quietness, becomes something close to a thriller, a race against time, and its cleverness never compensates the unexpected loss. But it is a beautiful film, carefully constructed and with some good dialogue. Victorio Storaro's cinematography is excellent as usual and Timothy Dalton probably gives his finest performance as a rigid and paternal husband who doesn't allow his wife to act as one. "Would you care for a kiss?", asks Agatha. I would say yes, but only to this Agatha .

Until I saw "Agatha", I had never even heard of the story of Agatha Christie disappearing - or hiding - in 1926. The movie offers a possibility of what might have happened, portraying the author (Vanessa Redgrave) secretly checking into a health spa under a false name, while detective Wally Stanton (Dustin Hoffman) investigates.

I will admit that this movie is nothing special. If anything, it's sort of just a way to pass time. But it is interesting not only learning about this part of history, but seeing this speculation of what might have happened (the movie reminds us that this is only speculation). The only other cast member whom I recognized was Timothy Dalton as Agatha's husband Archibald. Not a masterpiece by any stretch, but worth seeing nevertheless.

Sometimes the simplest explanation is the best. Maybe Agatha Christie back in 1926 just wanted to get a way for a bit and at the same time give her estranged husband a bit of a bad time. To this day we don't know what happened to the famed author for those dozen days in 1926 when she left her rather expensive ride abandoned and disappeared. Leaves a lot of room for speculation.

Which is what Agatha is, pure speculation. During her disappearance where shortly before she learned that husband Timothy Dalton had been out stepping with his secretary, Vanessa Redgrave as Agatha had an appointment with American gossip columnist Dustin Hoffman who's a Walter Winchell type and so gauche as versus these very well mannered and upper class British.

Hoffman turns an investigative reporter, something Winchell never was as he was always relying on press agent tips and proves better than the police as personified by Timothy West.

But this is all whole cloth folks, Christie's heirs attempted to sue.

It's a nice ensemble piece of work Agatha with both Vanessa Redgrave and Dustin Hoffman giving most believable performances.

Well, it could have happened that way.

Pushy American journalist joins the search in 1926 Britain for mystery writer Agatha Christie, who has disappeared upon learning of her husband's extramarital affair, leaving behind a cryptic note taken to be suicidal. Exceedingly handsome production (plagued with troubles behind-the-scenes) is a fictionalized account of a relative non-event, the secret of which Christie apparently took to her grave. Screenwriters Kathleen Tynan and Arthur Hopcraft seem to think they're writing a mystery story along the lines of something the real-life Agatha might have concocted (at least it was marketed that way) but, with so little happening, attention falls on the performances of leads Dustin Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave. Hoffman, exhaling cigarette smoke through his nostrils, is almost intentionally unappealing; he looks tiny standing next to his lanky co-star, and is unbearably mannered and stiff (it's one of his weakest performances). Redgrave looks stunning in her elaborate, Oscar-nominated '20s ensembles, and almost manages to create a character even though she's working from next to nothing (the picture is a showcase for her marvelously well-attired look and the graceful way she carries herself--all externals). The direction by Michael Apted is sleek and smooth, relying on the decorative detail to hold our interest. ** from ****

Agatha from 1969 stars Vanessa Redgrave, Dustin Hoffman, and Timothy Dalton.

Directed by Michael Apted, Kathleen Tynan's story purports to tell the story of what happens to mystery author Agatha Christie when she disappeared for eleven days in 1926.

Christie, devastated by the loss of her mother and her cold, cheating husband (Dalton) wanting a divorce, took off, and, using the name of his mistress, registered at a spa. Her disappearance spiked all sorts of speculation and made national headlines. When she was found, she claimed amnesia.

I personally believe that this woman, with her staggering imagination, took off and indulged in a fantasy for 11 days, punishing her husband and bringing a lot of attention to herself.

Now, this film builds in a reporter, Stanton (Hoffman) who knows who she is and falls for her. It also builds in a plot of Christie's which takes the audience in one direction but is actually in another.

Agatha is exquisitely photographed with gorgeous '20s costumes and atmosphere. Redgrave is stunning in looks and acting, showing her great unhappiness in a shy demeanor. One is aware of her height due to Hoffman being so short. Hoffman gives a very stylized performance.

There have been many programs about her disappearance; the Christie estate was furious about this one.

At the time this film was made Dustin Hoffmans career was on a downward curve.He was at the time managed by Jarvis Astaire,who is one of the credited producers.The part as originally written was very small.However Hoffman was persuaded to take the part on the basis of it being written up.This is what happened.So that you have long stretches of the film where Hoffman is not present and then further stretches where he is ever present.The problem is that where the film should really be about the disappearance of Agatha and what is happening to her it becomes all about Hoffman trying to find her.It has to be said that when they do meet up it is rather laughable with the diminutive Hoffman overshadowed by the towering Redgrave.This really must be one of the worst films made by either actor in their distinguished careers.Not long after the film Astaire and Hoffman ended their business relationship

In 1926, when her marriage with a stiff colonel has run down, Agatha Christie mysteriously vanishes. In the middle of both police and public investigation after the famous writer, an American journalist finds her in a Harrogate spa-hotel where, under a pseudonym, she prepares an elaborate revenge against her husband's lover.

Straightly fictitious solution to a famous and still unsolved real-life disappearance, with more attention to gleaming period detail and chillingly murky atmosphere than to suspense or credibility, while Redgrave's finely sensible portrait is downed by the somewhat strained and out-of-place casting of Hoffman as love interest. Eventually, this glossily romantic thriller has its own fascinations and is always well worth looking at, but the mystery is simply not as startling or revealing as one would expect from the Grande Dame of whodunit.

The world's most celebrated mystery novelist went missing in 1926, creating a mystery of its own. No one ever learned what happened to Agatha Christie and why. This film steps into the void, providing a fictional explanation.

I had never heard of this film. When I saw it was showing on TCM, I decided to watch because of its stars, Dustin Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave. Miss Redgrave plays Agatha and Mr. Hoffman plays an American newspaper columnist named Wally Stanton who happens to be nearby when the novelist disappears, so he investigates, looking for a story.

Give the film credit for its portrayal of time and place. The sets and costumes feel authentic. But that is not enough if a film is to be really engaging.

Wally Stanton, who is a fan of Christie's whodunits, is a clever man. He is also intense, direct and determined. He insinuates himself into Agatha's life, while she tries to keep him at arm's length, the way she is with most people. Redgrave's Agatha is reserved, wounded (by her husband), and perhaps naïve. We see Agatha making notes as one would if planning a murder mystery. We see Mr. Stanton desperately trying to gain her confidence, while following leads that might give him insight into Agatha's intentions.

But the film falls short. It's no surprise that a story about two tight-lipped characters might not reveal much below the surface. The ending tells us to believe that something deeper happened, though we did not see it. As Hitchcock might say: show us, don't tell us.

I suspect that neither Hoffman nor Redgrave count this film among their best. When one considers the possible fictions that might have "explained" Ms. Christie's disappearance, this one feels weak by comparison.

Agreeable picture dealing with Agatha Christie's (Vanessa Redgrave) still unexplained disappearance and the fictional American reporter's efforts to find her . After suffering a heartbreak when her husband (Timothy Dalton) asks for a divorce to marry the employee Nancy Steele , Agatha disappears taking refuge in a spa under a false identity . The police (Timothy West) and some of her followers undertake a relentless search to find the writer , but it will be an American journalist called Wally Stanton (Dustin Hoffman) who will be closest to her to discover her intentions . A fictional solution to the real mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance !.

Supposedly based on a true event in the life of mystery novelist Agatha Christie during in which she disappeared for eleven days in 1926 , this is a moderately effective thriller . On December 4, after publishing his novel ¨the death of Roger Ackroyd¨, its author, the very famous writer of mystery novels Agatha Christie disappears. The scriptwriters fabled about this fact and the author's descendants sued the production companies trying to prevent its premiere . They lost the trial and Michael Apted 's film was eventually released in the US a year after its completion . Main and support cast are frankly well. Vanessa Redgrave is good in the title role , but Dustin Hoffman is miscast as the American journalist on her trail . Unfortunately, Hoffman and Redgrave generate few sparks and there's not chemistry enough . They're well accompanied by a nice British secondary cast , such as : Timothy West , Helen Morse , Alan Badel , Celia Gregory , Paul Brooke , Carolyn Pickles , Tony Britton and Timothy Dalton pre- James Bond films.

It contains a glamorous and brilliant cinematography by the great Italian cameraman Vittorio Storaro. As well as lively and sensitive musical score by Johnny Mandel , including catching song : Close Enough for Love sung by Pattie Brooks and Lyrics by Paul Williams . The motion picture was professionally directed by recently deceased Michael Apted . He was good writer/ producer/director of several successes , such as : ¨The word is not enough¨, ¨Gorillas in the mist¨ , ¨Class action¨, ¨Nell¨, ¨Enigma¨, ¨The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader¨, among others . Rating : 6.5/10 , above average and worthwhile seeing , the whole family will enjoy this film . It's a very likeable mystery/thriller movie and enormously appealing for knowing Agatha Christie life. Overall this is a really enjoyable movie . If you are familiar with the story, then there are no real surprises, but makes up for it with stunning interpretations from Vanessa Redgrave and Dustin Hoffman.

"Agatha" tells the story of what may have happened in the 1920s when famous murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie went missing for eleven days, triggering a nationwide search for her by police and frenzied media coverage. Vanessa Redgrave plays Christie at her lowest moment: She has discovered that her husband, Archie, is cheating on her with his secretary and wants a divorce. This legendary actress shows us how distraught and anguished she was at this time, as well as insecure about her attractiveness (although Redgrave is stunning) and aging, and as calculating as we expect from this legendary mystery writer.

Dustin Hoffman (who also produced) plays celebrity American columnist Wally Stanton, who is a huge fan of Christie's books and doggedly searches for her to unearth the truth and get the scoop for his column. Timothy Dalton (Redgrave's real-life partner) plays the handsome but somewhat odious Archie. The rest of the supporting cast is good as well.

It's an entertaining movie, seems quick paced and even a bit short, with the classic '20s costumes and emerging technologies playing their own part in the suspense. One amusing detail: Redgrave was one of that era's tallest actresses, and she plays opposite Hoffman, a very short actor. I think the oddness of it works, because it's not the usual movie stereotype. Christie here seems like an aging woman who's unsure of herself, while Stanton is the most confident and assertive guy you've ever seen.

"Agatha" is a film that SHOULD have been interesting...yet somehow the whole thing is under-emoted and dull throughout. I had a difficult time paying attention to the film because of this.

The story is a piece of fiction based on fact. Back in the 1920s, apparently it was in vogue for famous people to disappear and then suddenly re-appear. However, unlike the disappearance of Amee Semple McPherson, exactly where she went and what she did is uncertain. All we know is that Agatha Christie disappeared and reappeared and she MIGHT have been abducted...or not! The film attempts to explain this mystery with their own baseless theory...one that is very unexciting--so much so that you wonder why they bothered to make this film in the first place. Overall, it has lovely costumes and a nice look but is amazingly uninvolving and dull. It also has a car crash scene that is very poorly done.

Michael Apted created a truly beautiful movie in this period piece. Watching it was an exercise in restraint, beauty, and remarkable taste, each frame seemingly more beautiful than the next. Again, Ms. Redgrave delivers a nuanced but powerful portrayal of this equally powerful mystery writer, who's real life disappearance was thoughtfully imagined in this thought-provoking film. Perhaps the choice of Dustin Hoffman was a bit of a stretch, when his physical height often seemed a little incongruous combined with the extreme height of the statuesque Redgrave, especially during the single love scene. That said, Hoffman's performance was more than up for the task, revealing a degree of stoic steadfastness and street smarts that makes the entire enterprise move along quite well, in spite of its generally slower pace, which English films generally employ to good effect. Never having heard of or seen this film before, catching it on TCM was an interesting and captivating delight.

The well publicized disappearance of Agatha Christie, legendary crime writer, is the subject of this mostly fictional movie. The disappearance of Christie has always been a mystery, given her loss of memory during the episode so this movie tried to fill in those blank pages of her life. It is a splendid production with Vanessa Redgrave in the title role and Dustin Hoffman as the journalist who pursues her and falls in love with the mysterious and elegant woman, as portrayed in the movie. Timothy Dalton, looking very distinguished, is her husband, who had made it clear that he wanted a divorce. Dalton and Redgrave together are enormously impressive. As the journalist, Dustin Hoffman pursues Christie and we see them on the dance floor and in private moments at the spa where Christie is hiding away. The costumes and settings are beautiful and evoke the 1920's in this classy and highly visual movie. I've always found Vanessa Redgrave to be one of the most riveting women in the world and this role highlights her tremendous stage presence. However, she is not a woman I would associate with Agatha Christie. The movie is not spellbinding; however, we do see a very shocking episode towards the end which is nerve wracking. This movie is well worth a viewing and while it is fictional it adds an interesting sidebar to the life of the world's best selling mystery writer.

Agatha is a fictional imagining of the few days Agatha Christie went missing. For a movie about the most famous murder mystery author of all time you'd expect there to be some of that in it; you would also probably be disappointed in it. There's a little of that, but nothing close to liven this fairly drab film. Vanessa Redgrave plays Christie in a role depicts her as a sort of withdrawn, pathetic character. Who, according to this movie, spends those days at a spa with perhaps a plan to her sleeve regarding her husband intent on divorcing her and marrying someone else, while an intense search is going on. However Dustin Hoffman, as a renowned columnist, doesnt have much trouble finding her and quickly joins her at the resort (keeping his motives secret) where the two meander pretty much the rest of the film away. Is Hoffman a superb actor who raises the quality of any scene he's in? Yes, but this a part none would think of him for, except for Dustin Hoffman.