Joan Hickson is once again wonderful as Miss Marple, and while starting off a little dull George Baker is amusing as Inspector Davy. Above this the directing is detailed and the scripting is intelligent. Bertram's Hotel is very well made, with beautiful photography, crisp editing and a very nice looking hotel. Some parts are a little slow and the first twenty minutes take a bit of time to get going, but the acting and the filming compensated hugely. This adaptation I think manages to be better than the book, and actually respects it while forgivably condensing it. Maybe I am being unfair because I remembered getting chills from reading A Murder is Announced and Sleeping Murder, so maybe my expectations of the book were a little too high. I haven't read the book for a long time, but I do remember finding it rather slow and somewhat unexciting. It was never going to get anything other then a 10 was it. The ending is wonderfully done, so exciting, dare I sat it manages to out do the book.
I've mentioned before my opinions on Joan's interpretation of Miss Marple (so I won't bore again,) but once again she's just magical, scenes with Blakiston and femme fatale Joan Greenwood are just too good. The costumes too look gorgeous, especially the one Bess wears at the end. The music as always is spot on, melodic and non obtrusive. 'Bigamy, trigamy what's the difference, scotch?' Bertam's itself looks so believable, when I read the book this is exactly how I picture it, sleepy, subtly lavish and full of rich and retired gentle folk, eccentric in their ways and staid in their appearance, it's the reason Bess works so well, she is meant to stand out. To see what I mean please check Polly Walker's performance in the poor remake, a great actress but doesn't bring her to life.
When you read the book she is the standout character, the interest and focus, Caroline makes her seem wealthy, edgy and wild. Caroline Blakiston needs a huge level of applause for bringing the character of Bess Sedgwick to life. I will say that some elements of the story are a little far fetched, and require a stretch in the imagination, some of the robberies etc, but the production is so velvety I didn't even give them a second thought. When winter breaks and the nights draw in, I can think of nothing nicer then putting the fire on, pouring a brandy and curling up to watch Bertram's. It's such a faithful and warm production.
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