Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

Although the scenery and acting (apart from Joan Hicksons Mrs. Rivington- who is super!) might not stand up to a lot, this adaptation of Christies novel, is perhaps one of the most accurate I have seen. The running time does go on a bit, but nothing is missed out and it is kept faithful to the book. A very interesting piece indeed. I'd give it full marks for ingenuity and plot!

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? is not one of Agatha Christie's best books but when Christie wasn't quite at her best she knew how to make a mystery entertaining and engrossing and that is true of Why Didn't They Ask Evans? This 1980 TV version I can see, in the future and right now, is not going to please everybody. Some people will find it well made, diverting and classic Agatha Christie, others will find it contrived, long-winded and perhaps confused. Depends on your perspective, and perhaps if you're familiar with the story. This version of Why Didn't They Ask is not what I call perfect, there is one information strand that does feel thrown in, all too easy and underdeveloped. But the adaptation is leagues ahead of the 2009 version(as part of the ITV Marple series), which was all of the things that I have seen people criticise this version of being, even though that adaptation had great production values and a splendid Julia McKenzie, it wastes most of the supporting cast, is meandering pacing-wise and the ending was a mess.

Back to this, it is very well-made, actually looking authentic without being too late-70s/early-80s with nice photography and costumes and sets that are both sumptuous and atmospheric. The dialogue is very faithful to Agatha Christie and helps to make the mystery interesting throughout, and the story, while paced slowly but appropriately, is both suspenseful and intricate, if seemingly implausible on first viewing. On this point, I do think this is an adaptation that is best to see more than once, then again I might be alone in this notion. I personally liked the cast, James Warwick and Francesca Annis are very likable and reminds one fondly of their Tommy and Tuppence, while John Gielgud- while not stealing scenes as seamlessly as in Seven Dials Mystery- is his usual commanding self. Joan Hickson also has a glorious and deliciously over-the-top cameo, but it is Eric Porter's alert and sometimes alarming Doctor that indeed steals the show.

Overall, not perfect and not the most accessible of Agatha Christie adaptations(I also think Seven Dials Mystery, which had most of the cast from here in that, is better), but well-made and interesting with a good cast and far better than the later adaptation. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Nifty production of Agatha Christie story. A man is found dying among some rocks on a beach in Wales, evidently having fallen from the cliff above. Bernard Miles and (someone else) find him. He utters only a few last words -- "Why didn't they ask Evans?" -- before giving up the ghost. Francesca Annis, a young lady with a title visiting Wales, inserts herself into the mystery. She finds out the man's identity and his local hosts, a patron, a young blond lady, and a young man. The host family is a suspicious lot, especially the father who is a nervous wreck and makes several allusions to opioid drugs. All of this is sharply but discretely observed by Francesca Annis who has managed a longish visit at the family's stately home, Merriway Court. She manages to enlist her boy friend in the case and has his pose as her chauffeur, and both of them begin prying.

Much of the conversation takes place at the dinner table. Everyone dabs decorously at his plate and seems disinterested except that they are listening with keen ears. This is an English pattern. I know I shouldn't make such Olympian judgements but I'm beyond that. The QE2 dining room was filled with British passengers and was silent except for the tinkling of silverware on china. As my wife and I were preparing to leave, I said audibly, "I never believed one bullet could make such a mess. There was blood everywhere." The tinkling paused only for about two seconds before resuming its silvery fairy-tale melody.

This is rather a typical Agatha Christie tale in that the plot -- extending as it does over three longish installments -- is labyrinthine. I lost track of who was suspected of what, and why, from time to time, despite the recurring themes of greed and narcotics. Bonus points for exquisite photography and location shooting. Everything seems so CLEAN and SUNNY.

We must count Francesca Annis among the many things that are clean and sunny. Her chipper persona enlivens every scene she's in. And though she's not one of those stunning English blonds one often finds in these tales, she's a splendid actress, a delight to watch. Her friend, the faux chauffeur, is something of a dull bulb compared to her sharp wit.

In fact, if there's anything resembling a message in this story, it's that men are either a little slow witted or are particeps criminis. It's the young, good-looking, energetic women in their white frocks and 1930s hair styles that ferret out the truth.

This BBC version of an Agatha Christie book shows the pitfalls of following a book too closely. Christie's books tend to move at a gentle, sometimes even sedate pace, and "Evans" is one that certainly does. It also has a solid school of red herrings to confuse the plot. This version is extremely faithful to the book, which results in a very slow, involved story. As a Christie fan, I gave it 7 stars, but it takes 3 hours to make its way through a relatively action-free story. I appreciate some of the tightening of plots that the BBC did for its later Christie productions much more.

In the end, this movie is a leisurely pleasure, highlighted by the breathy waif Francesca Annis who brings considerable charisma to her role and plays off James Warwick very well.

A good Sunday morning watch as you'll need to take some breaks. It's 2 hours 30 minutes. Actors enjoyable even though they repeat same types of mistakes constantly. Convoluted tale but they summarize where they stand every so often to help you keep track. Francesca Annis is wonderful.