![]() Stewart Harcourt strikes again, he's proved to be a very successful writer when it comes to Doctor Who. All in all, a wonderful adaptation that worked amazingly well even on its own terms. The cast is typically strong- Julia McKenzie once again is a splendid Miss Marple and out of the strong supporting cast Sharon Small really stood out in a chilling, fearless yet also touching performance as Mary, and Toby Stephens was brilliant as George. The music is both haunting and beautiful. The production values are superb, with the photography skillful and the scenery and costumes charming. It goes briskly, yet all is explained very well, the script is first-rate, actually the script was quite possibly the best it's been in a while now, and the direction is adept. On its own terms, the adaptation works marvellously. ![]() In the adaptation, it does get explained very quickly with each explanation going like bang, bang, bang, but what I liked about the writers doing it that way is that while it was quick there was something quite tense about that scene, and I can't quite put my finger on what made it so tense. ![]() The final solution is like the story, very clever. But I liked that, I liked it that this puzzle made you think deep properly without worrying about a changed detail, an odd camera angle or a stilted line from the script. Those who haven't read the story may find the puzzle of the geranium baffling initially. No fear of that really though, because this adaptation not only works as an adaptation but also on its own terms too. Just for the record, I don't rate harshly on an adaptations when they change any details, but when it goes off the boil with the spirit I am not quite so kind. Also, this is faithful to the story, not completely 100% but it actually feels like Agatha Christie. I loved the idea that Miss Marple finds she's wrong, I loved the baffling and clever idea of the pink geranium on the wall turning to blue and while there were some entertaining and touching moments- the scene on the bus is beautifully staged- I loved even better the sinister and heart-racing ones too(something that I feel were missing in some of the previous adaptations) especially the beginning which was very atmospheric. First off, I loved the adaptation's tone. This adaptation was just brilliant, it stuck to the story's tone, the story was still clever and interesting and the characters were still wonderful. The short story is a great one, very cleverly written with interesting characters and a final solution that would shock and surprise you. The Marple series has its ups and downs, whereas there have been some clunkers such as At Bertram's Hotel, there have also been some nice surprises such as this, The Blue Geranium.
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