Newcomers to Agatha Christie are genuinely astonished at her breadth. She's more than Poirot and Marple. She's the Beresfords and Superintendent Battle, and lots of one-off mysteries, with freewheeling young people and with lots of humor; as if Wodehouse decided to drop Jeeves and Wooster and try to do mysteries.Personally, I like lots of the Superintendent Battle stories, like THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE SEVEN DIALS MYSTERY . . . and TOWARDS ZERO. Yes, this is a Battle book that Miss Marple is horning in on. Like like she horned in on Tommy and Tuppense in another story in this series. She's invading another sleuth's book.But a word on Geraldine McEwen's "Marple." Compare her to the earlier incarnation of "Miss Marple" (Joan Hickson). Christie writes about how Miss Marple occasionally twinkles. Hickson, a former "Carry On" and comedy actress, is a bit creepy and annoying. But then, at just the right moment, she twinkles, and you see what Christie meant. McEwen, another long-time stage actress with a some tv and film history, is all twinkle. And it's tiresome.Nevertheless, like all "Agatha Christie Marple" episodes with McEwen, "Towards Zero" is stylish. And unlike some others, it actually goes more or less by the book. Some episodes ("The Moving Finger") are fairly accurately Christie. Others change the lovers (wrongly in each case, to my mind); or the murderer ("The Sittaford Mystery"; or twist the murderer(s) characters to suit the new writers' political outlook ("Nemesis"). Miss Marple doesn't belong here, but otherwise they keep the story comparatively pure. And they keep a wonderful moment on the boat near the climax. It was funny in the book when Battle did it. I confess it comes as a great visual when Marple does it.Eight stars out of ten for style, and more or less accuracy; but Marple doesn't belong here. It's too bad they couldn't do a series of Christie without Poirot or Marple. They did a few of these when Francesca Annis, Cheryl Campbell and James Warwick were young. Christie is hardly Holy Writ and changes must be made from page to screen, but this twinkling Marple really sticks her nose where it doesn't belong.

This movie is really a sort of satire of Agatha Christie's Towards Zero. Like Peter Sellers movies it tries to make this genre a comedy.A further complication is added to the comedy.. The murderer may have been Aude she walks due to the incompetence of the Poirot Marple Colombo detective.Guillaume is just plain crazy.The film pokes fun at stilted period English murder mysteries.However only the second wife Carolin was funny she was the best part of the movie.I have trouble recommending this....turning murder mysteries into comedy is just not my idea of entertainment plus the slap stick acting--particularly Guillaume towards the end and the servants through out is just a turn off and not funny.Do Not Rent.

A French adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Toward Zero" gets an excellent treatment at the hands of Pascal Thomas, a French director that appears to have been inspired by the original text. He has transferred the action to a gorgeous spot of Brittany. Since this is a rethinking of the Agatha Christie's novel, it was given a French flavor to go with the surroundings.At the center of the story is Camilla Tressilian, a wheelchair bound aristocratic lady with a great fortune. For the summer vacation she has invited her nephew Guillaume Neuville and his new wife, Caroline. She also has asked Aude, at the suggestion of Guillaume, a strange request, indeed. Marie-Adeline, who is Mrs. Tressilian's assistant, oversees all the arrangements. There is also a guest that comes from Vietnam, Thomas Rondeau, who has been away from France.The first formal dinner includes a former judge, Charles Trevoz, a man that knows a lot of secrets. At the table, Camilla asks the man about his most interesting case. Mr. Trevoz recalls a strange case that involved the supposedly accidental murder of a boy at the hands of another peer that was playing with a bow and arrow. One thing though, Mr. Trevoz does not reveal who the person was involved in the crime.That night, Mr. Trevoz is brought to the hotel by another guest. The only trouble is the elevator is out of order, meaning the older man has to climb four stories to his room. The following morning he is found dead. The news is too much for Camilla and her guests. Everyone is shocked when Mrs. Tressilian is found dead in her bed. She has been murdered by a hard blow to her head.The investigation that follows brings a vacationing inspector, Martin Bataille, to the scene. The situation is so mysterious that anyone of the people in the household, including the guests, could be the killers. Batailles follows unconventional methods to find out who did it. After some false movements the assassin, and his motives come to the open.Our main interest for watching the film was the presence of Danielle Darrieux playing Camilla. Ms. Darrieux, one of the most interesting personalities of the French cinema is a treasure to watch. She shows a regal presence that is a delight to watch, even though her part is not exactly the lead. Melvil Poupaud and a shrill Laura Smet, are Guillaume and Caroline. The enigmatic Aude is played by Chiara Mastroianni. Francois Morel is delightful as Bataille.Renan Polles, the cinematographer has worked with the director before. He gets in vivid details the beautiful Brittany scenery.

TOWARDS ZERO (L'heure zéro) Is the updated French version of Agatha Christie's 1944 novel by François Caviglioli, Clémence De Bieville, Roland Duval and Nathalie Lafaurie as directed with style and panache by Pascal Thomas. Instead of England the action is transferred to the breathtaking beauty of Brittany, France. Not only does the magic of Christie's mystery remain intact, but it is enhanced by the significant rugged coastlines of the area (captured beautifully by cinematographer Renan Pollès) as the setting for the mansion overlooking the sea where the action takes place. Guillaume Neuville (Melvil Poupard), the favored relative and heir to Aunt Camilla (Danielle Darrieux) who in her declining years lives in the Brittany estate under the care of Marie- Adeline ( Alessandra Martines) and her servants Heurtebise (Paul Menthe) and Emma (Valériane de Villeneuve) - the latter two making one of the finest comedy teams on film, comes to visit his aunt with his current wife Caroline (Laura Smet) while also inviting his mysterious former wife Aude (Chiara Mastroianni). Aunt Camilla favors the Aude, a fact that throws the tempestuous and obnoxious Caroline into tantrums. There is considerable background history of this family and friends that gradually all comes together in the end. But the incident that triggers the story is the murder of Aunt Camilla, an act that leaves nearly everyone in the full house as a suspect. Enter Le commissaire Martin Bataille (François Morel), who goes about his investigation singing a tune created from the names of Agatha Christie's famous detectives - Hercule Poirot, Miss Marples, and, oddly, Colombo. The murder weapons are recreated, the events of the night of the murder are studied, and gradually the true murderer is uncovered in typical Christie style. There are many clues, versions, suppositions, old family secrets, current interrelationships and pointed facts that leave the audience wondering not only who the murderer is but also the motive of the crime. It is a pleasure to watch the finest French actors (in addition to the ones mentioned the cast includes Clément Thomas, Xavier Thiam, Hervé Pierre and others) have a great time with this story and the sets, costumes, Brittany scenery, and the musical score by Reinhardt Wagner make this a delectable bonbon of a film. Grady Harp