THE WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION is another dead-headed drama from the BBC, who seem to have lost the plot when adapting classic fiction for the screen. This one's a two-parter version of the Agatha Christie short story, featuring the acceptable Toby Jones as a lawyer who takes on the case of a young man accused of murdering his female employer. It's a dingy and dismal-looking production, subdued throughout, with poor lighting and mumbled dialogue.Even worse, the performances are nothing to write home about, and that includes Kim Cattrall who seems to be channelling SEX AND THE CITY in her early scenes. Jones is the only one who comes out of this with his reputation intact, and even he's been better elsewhere. The choicest dramatic parts of the story feel rushed through and the emotion rings hollow, particularly at the climax which veers into melodrama.

The actress who played the maid reminded me of Norma Shearer when she stepped out of silent movies into talkies, a lot of over acting, wide crazy eyes and hand gestures She was totally unbelievable. The story line was bizarre at best. I am sure most people would of guessed who was faking it and who wasn't. THe endless coughing by one of the main characters had me coughing along with him. The scene in the dark dwelling was so obviously a set up, but all that coughing must of dislodged some of his brains cells and they flew out of his ears. I mean, really, something like that happening to anyone would of been all over the newspapers, especially to this particular character. I don't know, I have some old male relatives that look like the old coughing guy and all they want to do is sip on coffee or beer and read newspapers, and certainly are in no desperation to rip off the depends from their old withered wives for an attempted roll around. The hotel scene and ending was silly, and so was his long walk out to the ocean. He was short enough to drown in a deep bathtub. Was very disappointed in this, However, luckily there is Poirot still on Netflix.

Seeing a number of fine adaptations on stage in 2015,I was disappointed in missing out on a new mini-series version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.Planning to catch up on films during the Christmas/New Year holiday,I was intrigued to find that a new mini-series of a lesser-known Christie was being shown,which led to me taking a seat in the witness box.The plot:Returning from WWI after joining the army with his son (who died in battle) solicitor John Mayhew goes round the prisons offering to work on cases at a low fee. Sticking his hands out of the bars, Leonard Vole cries for help. Struggling to cover costs with his wife Romaine Heilger,Vole becomes a "paid lover" for heiress Emily French,who has been found murdered. Seeing his son in Vole,Mayhew takes on a case where he will be judged by a prosecution on what he left behind.View on the mini-series:Coughed up in the aftermath of WWI, director Julian Jarrold lines the first ep and the outdoor scenes of the second in a thick green tint,which whilst subtly expressing the green with envy hidden in some and offering a touch of BBC Victorian Costume Drama atmosphere, drowns out all that try to rise above it. Playing on how people are perceived, Jarrold's green smog blocks out much of the facial details of the cast and the scope of the setting. Bringing a focus as Mayhew lays out the case,Jarrold peels away the green for a stylish gold which shines on the wealth that blinds Mayhew from the decayed envy retained underneath.Sending this adaptation to post-WWI,the screenplay by Sarah Phelps brilliantly dips into Film Noir pessimism,as Mayhew's battle to bring justice to this world can't stop him being wrapped with the shadows of failure from the past. Keeping Christie's original ruthless ending sharp,Phelps wonderfully lays out the entangled relationships between Mayhew,Vole & Heilger,which are deliciously twisted into a final that recalls the Giallo sub-genre corrupt bourgeoisie.Joined by a glamorous Kim Cattrall taking the Sex and the City socialites to a brutal death as French,the elegant Andrea Riseborough gives a fantastic performance as Heilger,whose brittle dialogue Riseborough smartly uses to carry an ambiguity with the character. Unable to free himself from the horrors of WWI, Toby Jones gives an excellent performance as Noir loner Mayhew,via Jones giving any sign of hope in Mayhew's life a harsh,isolated bitterness,as Mayhew becomes a witness to the wrong prosecution.

I found this version rather gloomy and a bit depressing to say the least.Agatha Christie adaptions are usually quaint ,classy and clever this lacked any of that.And i couldn't see the point in adding unnecessary sex scenes,swear words and hints of lesbianism to do with the maid,what was the point of that other than to try and appeal to a modern audience in which case it fails,as we all prefer Christies original style of writing. Other than that i found the acting very good especially from Toby Jones who like the maid deserved a better ending like in the original 1950s and 1980s versions.These earlier versions were more true to Christies style. After watching this two part series i came away thinking that this has to be an anti-capital punishment version where miscarriages of justice could so easily have been prevented in the past if courts hadnt just relied on circumstantial evidence If this is the point the director was aiming at then it works,other than that i didn't find it comfortable viewing