Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For

It is good to see Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) back in action in the second TV movie after the Murder, She Wrote TV series ended. This time, Jessica is among the guest authors at the Speakers Incorporated to give a speech. Russian author Uri Malenkovitch (Duncan Regehr) is another attending author and plans to promote his book about his former days in the KGB. When he is murdered, Jessica is called upon to help solve the case.

This movie possesses the same charm, sleuth tactics and plot twists and turns of the TV series, and is filled with much intriguing plot points and daring investigation scenes that puts Jessica collaborating with the sometimes oblivious local investigators and FBI agents to solve the case (it would have been better to have the detectives and FBI prove to be a little more resourceful and credible than relying on Jessica so much). I especially enjoyed how each of the authors has a background story and each one is considered a suspect, like a Clue-style case.

The direction and pacing are pretty good and, although much of the movie is all-talk and less action, the quality of the acting, the aspects of the drama and script, and the unpredictability of the plot made the movie nonetheless captivating. I also especially enjoyed some of Lansbury's eloquent and meaningful dialog she delivered throughout the movie.

With all the finger-pointing and perplexed situations, you would be eager to find the truth of the matter and who is behind the all the murder. It is a good TV movie that continues the nice throwback to the heyday of the TV series.

Grade B+

(Amazon Prime has the four "Murder She Wrote" movies now. Do a search for "Murder She Wrote--New".)

This second MSW movie is about a speakers conference, where writers and others are attending to learn about performing and making money at speaking engagements. The movie was not as good as the first one, but still classic Jessica Fletcher. A nasty ex-KGB director/writer is killed and his manuscript is stolen. Quite a few suspects, but I did guess who the killer was without trying.

At the end of the film, Jessica gives a long speech about why murderers should never be allowed to get away with murder, and why no one should resort to murder. Interesting, since with many MSW TV episodes, the viewer may feel the killer should get away with the killing. I guess this explains why all the MSH stories never lets anyone get an out-of-jail-free card.

I am a huge Murder, She Wrote fan (and Ellery Queen, Agatha Christie, and John Dickson Carr fan, including adaptations) but for the longest time I had never seen the MSW movies, except for Celtic Riddle (I had read that book before it became a movie actually.) I was feening them like an addict. I looked everywhere, couldn't find them. Finally, Hallmark aired the three movies a few years ago.

I'm over the moon. Really, if this were part of the regular series I'd be saying this was my favorite episode block ever. We have Jessica at a writer's conference, people calling her on all her investigating and the publicity it's brought her books, questioning her motives. It's beautiful. While it still hovers just below painting a picture of a complex character it gives us a lot to like. 

And the story is classic MSW. In fact, altogether I'd say this is back to basics. Great plot, more than just cardboard cutouts for characters, and a sleek production. While there wasn't a high body count, the main murder was bloody (considering it's MSW we're talking about.) Also, ASTDF features some of the best acting in supporting roles MSW had seen in a long time (after the late 90s cringe- inducing performances from young "up and comers.") And, this might be Angela's finest portrayal of Jessica Fletcher yet. Maybe because she's aged, but she seems more vulnerable than ever before (save Thursday's Child). 

I only wish somehow Seth could've been involved, as with all the movies we don't even get a single mention of Cabot Cove (IIRC). 

If you haven't seen it, and you're a fan, make every effort to do so. You won't be disappointed. 

Angela, I love you. Jessica, I can't wait till they remake you and your world for a new audience -- which I'm sure they will.

This full length Murder She Wrote TV film has Jessica Fletcher at a writer's conference organized by Richard Crenna and while JB Fletcher is a noted celebrity the big fish at the conference is former KGB agent Duncan Regehr who has written one successful novel. Now Regehr is promising a tell all expose of his years at the KGB. As you can imagine a lot of people wouldn't want to see that in print.

So Regehr is murdered and at the more leisurely pace that a feature film offers Angela Lansbury solves it.

Regehr is the type that will leave few mourning for him. Still murder is murder. There is a final scene with Lansbury giving a speech and she's asked about the ethics of getting involved with so many real life murder cases. Her speech ought to be required viewing for all, it's that good.

I gave up reading the Agatha Christies after I learned to spot the murderer, usually about a third of the way in, when he (or frequently she) was placed at the centre of an over-theatrical scene in front of a fairly large audience.

Although Angela Lansbury and her colleagues have always been at pains to distance themselves from Agatha Christie, the same principle is applied in this story, set in a conference of budding authors, who are each given their turn on the stage. And sure enough, the killer does manage to give away an important clue during his own well-received talk.

In her position as the famous crime-novelist, Jessica has been invited to preside over the conference, and gets a close-up view of a colourful mix of characters, some of them connected with the ex-head of the KGB, also at the conference, who has just been offered a fortune for his memoirs, exposing the secrets of the Soviet Union. When the inevitable murder takes place, Jessica warns more than one character - significantly - that too much willingness to help the police may be aimed at deflecting attention, and can point to the killer. When it comes to the final unmasking, there is another Christie touch, when it turns out that the murderer is not a thug or a psychopath, but a decent and responsible person, driven to extremes by circumstances with which one can sympathise.

Regular fans of Murder She Wrote will recognise a particular in-joke, when one character laments "Jessica Fletcher's here. There's been a murder. What are the odds?" A few years from now, viewers may need a few title-frames to explain the historical context, but when the film was released in 2000, the ending of the Cold War was recent enough to make a strong basis for the story.