Témoin à charge

The work of Agatha Christie is amazingly addictive! Regardless of how many times you read the original novel/short story, or how many different screen adaptations you already watched, you will always still look forward to the next big film or TV version! That's the case for me, at least, I'm sorry if I tend to generalize! But, seriously, the woman was brilliant, and the good people at the BBC seem to share this opinion, since they produced a few nicely sophisticated, well-budgeted and glamourous mini-series of Mrs. Christie's most famous and legendary stories lately. I, for one, am truly grateful they did, because I can only applaud that the work of my favorite writer of all times continues to reach wider and younger generations of audiences! "Witness for the Prosecution" was originally a short story and a stage play, and it hasn't been turned into film versions as often as, say, "Murder on the Orient Express" or "And then there were None". Of course, there's the phenomenal Billy Wilder classic from 1957. More than sixty years old, but that film still stands as one of the greatest and most influential courtroom dramas/thrillers in history, with intimidatingly bombastic courthouse settings and fascinatingly eccentric lead characters. A very praiseworthy innovation in this BBC version is the complete altering of the personas of the pivot characters, and it works perfectly. Mayhew, as depicted by the great Charles Laughton in 1957, was a self-confident and charismatic barrister, whereas Tobey Jones puts him down as timid, humble, sickly and highly insecure counsellor. Romaine Heilger, once portrayed by Marlene Dietrich as a cold and heartless shrew, is here a sensitive and introvert young lady. But, as to be expected in the universe of Agatha Christie, perhaps nothing and nobody is what they seem.

Kim Catrall has a splendid supportive role as Emily French; a lewd and eccentric heiress who likes to toy around with men that are much younger than her. She falls for the handsome Leonard Vole, and even changes her entire will in favor of him. When Emily is found brutally murdered at her home, the jealous and possessive maid Janet is quick to accuse Vole, and admittedly all the evidence does point in his direction. Barrister John Mayhew, struggling with his health as well as with his own guilt, believes in Vole's innocence and centers his defense around the testimony of his wife Romaine who can confirm Leonard was at home at the time of the murder. But then the loving wife suddenly and unexpectedly turns against Leonard. "The Witness for the Prosecution" wondrously recreates the 1920s and the depressing post-WWI era. BBC writer Sarah Phelps turned the short story into a totally different version than the 1957 classic, but it's an equally hypnotizing thriller with great performances, decors and photography.

Tightly written and beautifully directed, a complex mystery, with enjoyable twists throughout. Artfully expanding on the original short story, but don't read it ahead of time! Ignore the negative comments and enjoy a very classy movie-length period mystery. Wonderful, distinctive and nuanced performances by the cast as well, especially Toby Jones and Andrea Riseborough, with Julian Jarrold's meticulous direction.

I suppose it's a question of taste, and some people may find the BBC adaptations more realistic than the ITV Poirot & Marple adaptations, but I'm afraid both this and last year's "And Then There Were None" just leave me thoroughly depressed.

While both have been well-acted and well-directed, there seems to be an insistence on making things as bleak, miserable and depressing as follows, from the coughing-fit sex scene to the muted colours with no really likable characters at all.

Perhaps it is wrong to expect stories of murder to be fun. And maybe shows like "Midsomer Murders" cater for the likes of me.

I just find it irritating that in order to gain critical respectability, the BBC feels a need to pour a thick layer of dismal over their Christie adaptations. As excellent an actor as Toby Jones is, I found myself longing for Charles Laughton's bombast and energy.

And yes, I must admit, I miss the flashy, cartoony ITV Marple series. What a shame the BBC now has the rights to those stories too.

Can definitely see the polarising opinions, the virtues being brought up are understandable and every bit as understandable are the complaints.

Of the adaptations of 'Witness for the Prosecution' it is this 2016 adaptation that fares the weakest, despite being closer to the short story than the play it is not a patch on the brilliant 1957 Billy Wilder film. Also preferred the 1982 version. It is not awful, and there are worse Agatha Christie adaptations around, a most notable recent example being 'Partners in Crime' with a woefully miscast David Walliams. But after being so impressed by 2015's 'And Then There Were None', I was honestly expecting much more.

There are strong things here. Apart from going overboard on the grimness sometimes, particularly in the first half, 'Witness for the Prosecution' is very pleasing to look at, being beautifully shot and with costume and set design that are both handsome and evocative. The music is unobtrusive but still has a presence.

Parts of the storytelling are very compelling, the whodunit and legal stuff is mostly quite riveting, while the conflict of WWI is powerfully evoked and the relationship between Mayhew and his wife having moments of tender pathos. There are some great twists, especially the very clever (though the one of the 1957 film had more edge) final reveal.

'Witness for the Prosecution' benefits from a great cast as well. A brilliant performance from Toby Jones is particularly note-worthy, and more than up to his level are Andrea Riseborough, who captivates in bringing an enigmatic quality to a character that you are not sure whether to trust or not. Billy Howle's performance is enough to make one convinced of his innocence. David Haig and Tim McMullan excel as morally devious barristers, as does a venomous Monica Dolan and a touchingly subtle Hayley Carmichael. Kim Catrall is luxury casting, and is a dream.

It is a real shame however that 'Witness for the Prosecution' is let down significantly by pacing issues, especially for a lot of the first half, which takes too long to set up with scenes that feel over-stretched and go on longer than needed, and the seemingly endless and melodramatic stuff after the final reveal, like there was an indecisiveness as to how to end it. The second half is more gripping and better paced, but again the pace does drag and scenes and subplots feel like padded filler.

Really it would have been better to do 'Witness for the Prosecution' as a one off lasting an hour or something, because the story just doesn't feel long enough to sustain two hour long episodes. So it felt like there was too much padding and stretching in an attempt to sustain it. There is stuff included to give the story a darker tone, but it did feel too often too gratuitously grim and anachronistic, and over-darkened and overshadowed a story that didn't need it.

A few scenes between Mayhew and his wife, despite some tender pathos in others and great chemistry between Jones and Carmichael, felt soapy and overwritten, and personally am another person who found the sex scene unnecessary and in poor taste.

Concluding this review, not an awful adaptation and production, not as bad as said by some, but could have been much better and comes off as uneven. 6/10 Bethany Cox

If you love a good "whodunnit " crime drama then you'll enjoy this. It's well casted and brilliantly acted. Don't read too many reviews or plot spoilers, just watch it. You won't be disappointed. Pass the popcorn please!