Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I cannot explain why but, when Agatha Christie is brought to life by The BBC or ITV it has a magic and quality that cannot be matched, when it's made on the big screen it always seems flashy, and Murder with Mirrors is another example, the story is lost in favour of celebrities and showy staging. The screen play is dull, it's not one of Christie's finest plots, but it's still decent, this adaptation does not make the most of the subtleties of the plot. Once again, filling the production with stars is an attempt to make something good, but it fails miserably. Bette Davies dazzled in Death on the Nile, but I find it quite sad watching her in this, her delivery is a little laboured. I didn't care for Helen's characterisation of Jane Marple, she simply isn't the character in the text. I also find the accents really irritating, too many attempts at sounding 'English,' not everyone in the UK sounds like Queen Elizabeth. On the plus side, Frances de la Tour and Leo McKern are both very good, and it starts off well, but ten minutes in it becomes a struggle to watch.She's never been near St Mary Mead in her life, watch Hickson's version for the definitive production, even Julia McKenzie's is superior.Poor 4/10

This is a made-for-TV movie starring Helen Hayes as Miss Marple and features several prominent stars - Bette Davis, John Mills, Dorothy Tutin and Leo McKern.Miss Marple is asked to visit an old friend, Carrie-Louise Serrocold (Davis) by her stepson who is concerned that his stepmother is being slowly poisoned. Once Miss Marple arrives at the English country estate, she soon discovers that all is not as it seems.The location scenery is lovely, however the story is set in the 1980's, losing the authentic period atmosphere so closely associated with Agatha Christie.Helen Hayes gives a decent performance, although Bette Davis is under-used and looks visibly frail. John Mills is good, as always, and Dorothy Tutin gives a sympathetic turn as Davis's down-trodden daughter. Leo McKern portrays the police inspector with relish, including several entertaining exchanges with Miss Marple.The plot keeps you guessing, complemented by the usual red herrings supplied by Agatha Christie. Overall, an enjoyable film.

It was with a sceptical frown that I put the tape in the machine and pressed "Play" - I had already seen four atrocious US TV films from the '80s. I was surprised enough to manage to watch it all the way through. FInally, the production team was starting to get the hang of Agatha Christie... just. However, I will not pretend that more Hayes-Marple films would be a good thing.The updated plot is ridiculous and fanciful. The cast aren't even trying. Sparks flew between Bette Davis (Playing the kindly Carrie-Louise) and the rest of the cast. This shows, subtly, in that none of the cast will touch her and they always stay a good foot or two away, even in the friendly greeting scenes.This is always advertised as "One of Bette Davis's last films", but most people fail to realise it was Helen Hayes's very last film, and Miss Hayes was critically ill at the time of shooting. This may be why everyone involved seems to lack passion. I don't like the cheap American titles, the cheap American sets, the cheap American costumes, the cheap American accents and the cheap American attitudes.Guess which two words spring to mind (they begin with "C" and "s"). Frances de la Tour is more irritating than her character gives scope for, John Mills gives a reliable performance, as ever, but it is sadly wasted. The viewer can tell that the cast-members have just had a laugh at the writer's expense.Compared to the less-than-perfect 1991 version, this is just a waste of film.

One of Agatha's easier mysteries to solve begins with some decent location atmosphere and solid characters then soon nosedives, like most Christie adaptions, into the silly. I agree that Dame Bette looks sadly old here and is basically wasted, so Helen Hayes makes up for a lot as the nosy Miss Marple. The funniest part of unintentional giggles, next to that exploding car crashing thru the gate, which never happened in book form, is seeing Tim Roth as a so called delinquient teen. He's a riot here and helps the disappointment factor from jumping too high. It's also nice to see Leo McCern from Rumple of the Bailey in a token, gruffy, voice-of-the-law role which plays off the Hayes cuteness level without too much strain. Too bad the plot wasn't as meticulously handled as the scenery...