Sparkling Cyanide

I saw some criticisms over at YouTube from Agatha Christie purists who resented the American location of this made for television film. I also believe that Christie novels should always be in their original settings, but this was an all right production. And Anthony Andrews as the lead sleuth in Sparkling Cyanide is as English as you can get.

Andrews is hobnobbing with the rich and somewhat famous and strikes up an acquaintance with Deborah Raffin who is visiting her sister Christine Belford who is currently married to Josef Sommer, but deep in an affair with the married David Huffman. I've already given a few reasons for a murder and others come out during the investigation by LAPD homicide detective Harry Morgan.

Belford is victim number one as she drinks some champagne laced with cyanide at a dinner party. Later on Sommer who thinks he's Hercule Poirot gathers all the suspects together at a duplication of the same dinner party and he gets the cyanide champagne as well.

A matter as simple as the seating arrangements provides the solution.

I'm sure the original English version is better, but this certainly will do for less fussy Christie fans.

This is an enjoyable film...good fluff-that's about it. I don't think the writers of the script understand what Agatha Christie had in mind. I read quite a few of her novels-and I wonder if Agatha Christie's name should be taken off the title of this film. Let's call it "Sue Grafton's Sparkling cyanide"

Sue Grafton is a great writer-her novels are always best sellers, but-no female mystery writer has ever captured the time and place settings, not to mention the scene of the crime as has Agatha Christie.

I like this film, though-but it's no Agatha Christie. I like Anthony Andrews-at least they put a British actor in this film. No matter how you slice it-in order to get the feel of what Agatha Christie put into the story-you need to read "Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide" Before you bother seeing "Sue Grafton's Sparkling cyanide"

......but, wow, are there any movies or TV shows that are more dated nowadays(in 2008) than movies made in the 80's? Dated hair, clothing, home furnishings...I was cringing at the bad hairstyles and clothes in this movie. It truly has little to do with Agatha Christie but the title and while it wasn't bad to watch, I just can't figure out why the producers had to transport it to Pasadena in the early 80's. Was it cheaper to film? What it reminded me of was an episode of Murder She Wrote, with the same types of actors etc. I've read lots of Agatha Christie's writing although I have to admit it's been a while and I'm sure this would have been a better movie with more period correct settings. It was nice to see Deborah Raffin, though--she did some great work in her career and I'm sad not to see her doing much acting lately.

I am a fan of Agatha Christie, and I quite enjoyed Sparkling Cyanide. The 80s updating aside, the story and dialogue is fairly faithful. The locations/sets are really quite nice and the photography is good enough. Some of the hairstyles, make-up and fashions are on the tacky side, but I can live with that, if anything it added to Sparkling Cyanide's fun.

The story is intact and very interesting to watch, the final solution I feel could have been developed a little more though and could have done with being less rushed. When it comes to the pace, it probably doesn't help that the film is perhaps too short, but some of it felt a little rushed, while some of the direction is flat and the music is annoying overdoing it with the jauntiness. Although there is a bit of cheese in abundance, the dialogue is entertaining and sticks well to the story.

The acting is nothing exceptional, but it is serviceable enough. Deborah Raffin comes off best, I'd say the way her character is written and explored- she is very spunky here- is a marginal improvement over the source material, and Raffin is very good indeed. Anthony Andrews is dashing and likable and seems to be having fun.

Overall, quite good, nothing special but watchable. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Yeh, I know it's set in the 80's instead of the 40's or 50's but this wasn't that bad. In fact, some parts improved on the book. The narration in the book is a little over heated. Has a nice twist ending that unless you read the novel you won't see coming. A definite guilty pleasure indulgence. Come on, admit it, cheese like this is entertaining.