He’s still Jason Rafiel’s son but with a different last name. As you would expect, the bodies start to pile up with the least guilty dying first while Miss Marple unravels the clues about Verity along with figuring out how everyone is related to everyone else. Here, every single person including the tour guide is in on the plot. In the novel, some members of the tour group were sent by Jason Rafiel, but not all. The tour had a definite And Then There Were None vibe. As a “man of letters”, he must not be very rich or else he spent all his wealth arranging the tour.
Here, he’s apparently a “man of letters” and noted philanthropist. In the novel, the bequest is considerably larger but Jason Rafiel is considerably richer. If she cooperates, she’ll win the £500 bequest. Jason Rafiel sends his last request to Miss Marple via a record on a gramophone. Introducing a ’50s version of Mission Impossible was a nifty touch. I liked the first two-thirds of this film. The final scene was the rotten cherry atop the rancid sundae. Then it completely fell apart into an incoherent, illogical mess. Despite the screenwriter playing fast and loose to earn his salary, the movie worked for me, right up until the third act. I never know what to expect from ITV: excellent or terrible. Quality of movie on its own: 2 and 1/2 poison bottles.
Oh, and the coach tour of the great houses of England. About all that remains is Verity herself, her tragic life, and Jason Rafiel’s enjoyment of manipulating people. If you’re familiar with the novel, you’ll be aghast at what ITV Productions did to the story line. Fidelity to text: 1 and 1/2 poison bottles.
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