Pretty Good

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Sly vixen that she was, Agatha Christie had other arrows in her quiver besides her usual crew of detectives.For instance, "The Seven Dials Mystery" is a beautiful filmed production set among the magnificent houses of the great if not so good between the two World Wars, far from the tranquil world of Miss Marple.There is no middle-aged Belgian detective or village busybody here, but a pert girl with impeccable breeding and a nose for adventure. In "The Seven Dials Mystery," originally written in 1929, and produced as a British TV film in 1981 (directed by long-time "NCIS" director Tony Wharmby) , Christie's sleuth is a young noblewoman named Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent (Cheryl Campbell) . Just a few years older than Nancy Drew, this delightful daughter of a marquess (Sir John Gielgud!) engages in some very clever (and very dangerous) detective work.Set in a gorgeous old pile, and involving a whole House of Lords of wealthy aristocrats, including several very rich and (sigh!) very stupid gilded youth, "The Seven Dials Mystery" has plot enough for a dozen mystery movies. During the day, Bright Young Things screaming, "By Jove!" and "I say!" play away the hours. But as mysterious gunshots ring out at night, to the grim accompaniment of ancient clocks tolling away the hours, the bodies begin to add up. As the cute "Bundle" Brent tries to figure out what's going on, Dame Agatha adds still more layers of mystery to the puzzle, and what started out as almost a day trip to the Fun House becomes a terrifying excursion into the unknown.Along for the ride is the great Sir John Gielgud, in a charming, often hilarious performance as an eccentric peer of the realm (he easily steals every scene he's in), and the marvelous Harry Andrews, as, of course, a Detective-Superintendent from Scotland Yard.Christie doesn't let you off lightly, and there are nuances and subtleties that you might miss on your first viewing. So watch "Seven Dials Mystery" over and over, and don't look at the clock while the movie's playing, because Dame Agatha has a surprise for you every minute of the film.

SPOILER POSSIBLE! The version I saw (1981) came without captions, so I floundered a bit getting used to the dialogue without the help of captions. I also had a bit of trouble with the outdoor visuals which were not as clear and sharp as the interior shots. Then I thought I was in a quicksand of a movie that would drag me to the Infinite Boredom. Incredibly, the pace picked up and my interest was piqued. Cheryl Campbell, who excelled in PENNIES FROM HEAVEN and much later in the Poirot APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH, shone forth with her talent, and James Warwick seemed to be a perfect match for her. Was this another "secret six" kind of movie in which masked individuals plotted world domination, and didn't Christie write something like this before? It's more of a romp for the "bright young things" of the flapper age, as things turn out, not to be taken seriously since the plot is absurd. Still, high marks for the eventual conclusion which took me by surprise (OK, I am a sucker for unexpected revelations). Christie did it again: she bamboozled me. Takes patience to watch it all, since the movie runs over two hours, but it is rewarding. By the way, you have to watch the dexterity of John Gielgud in a small role as a English lord, father of the Campbell character: a great actor who can make even the smallest role memorable.

Unbelievable adaptation! Completely and utterly faithful to the novel, except for 2 things: 1) The climax is slightly altered to make it more "scary" 2) During the climax, #7 explains the purpose of the Seven Dials before revealing him/herselfThe acting was fantastic! (Bundle's dad is portrayed so perfectly, it's almost scary!) You could watch this while reading the book, that's how faithful it is! The humorous scenes are still there, Bundle and her dad providing most of them. Some people complain that it is too long. Not at all, the length is just right! A long and drawn-out adaptation is WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS?.An overall summary: One of those rare "perfect adaptations" which you'd like to watch over and over again. It deserves more than 10/10, but that is not allowed.

Lately I have been watching Agatha Christie stories that have been made into movies. Some of them, like Murder on the Nile, and Murder on the Orient Express, are great films. This one is not. I would suggest you pass on this film and watch either version of 10 Little Indians instead. This film suffers from unimaginative directing, poor acting, and poor writing. Some of the plot devices were so bad I could have done better. This is a very poor film, I would recommend avoiding it.