The Writers Done It

On the library shelf, Invitation to a Murder (2023) looked like just the thing. An Agatha Christie pastiche period piece, but not a Branagh spectacle - a small movie with no actors we recognized. We jumped right on it.

It starts in a 1930s London bookshop, because they know the audience will love a cozy, book-filled shop. Mischa Barton is chatting with a friend over the latest "Inspector Poirot" (he wasn't a detective). We learn here that she is the amateur detective type. When she gets home, she finds a mysterious invitation from Lord Findley, a reclusive billionaire (there were no billionaires in existence in the 30s - from these clues, we know that the writers weren't reying that hard). All will be explained if you come to his mansion on a remote island. Travel arrangements have been made.

On the train to the island, she meets the other guests, introduced by chatty Seamus Dever (who I labelled not-Cillian Murphy). There was a young doctor, Giles Mathy, canoodling with exotic Bianca A. Santos. A mysterious Asian, Grace Lynn Kung, and gruff American journalist, Chris Browning (who I labelled not-Christopher Walken). This confuses Barton, because she had a theory that there would be only five invitees, based on a clue in the seal on the invite. How right she turns out to be. Before we get off the train, I knew - they all done it! I was wrong.

They are met at the launch to the island by a valet, Alex Hyde-White. In fact, there are only three on staff, including butler James Urbaniak and maid Amy Sloan. Lord Findley has been detained by weather, but should be flying in shortly (he does not). The staff seem rather cold and not very good at their jobs. Now, I'm thinking the butler done it. Well, we'll see.

After a little faffing around, Dever is found dead, stabbed in the neck with a preposterous push dagger. He is carried inside, and when they steel themselves to search him, his body disappears. 

Barton sort of takes over the investigation, to the disgust of tough guy Browning. But she soons wins him over as he wants to investigate this situation too. They find many odd and interesting clues, both on the estate and in the backstories of the guests. I'll skip ahead a bit and let you know that Dever shows up alive and the Hyde-White gets killed. So the butler didn't do it, I guess.

The next morning, they decide to call the police. That was an option? And you didn't do it when the first murder was committed. Okay that murder didn't take. But they didn't know that.

I won't spoil the ending, except to say that the way it is discovered is ridiculous (closed circuit TV - in the 1930s!). The whole plot is preposterous, which actually isn't disqualifying. The same could be said for most of Christie's mysteries. But really.

I will say that the movie looked very nice, mostly set in a lovely wood paneled mansion. Ms. Spenser noticed the costumes, and noticed how well they fit the sets. For instance, Santos wore blue, and was always photographed in front of a blue background, like a blue leather chair. Her swain, Mathy, wore a dweeby brown cardigan (indicative of his personality). and tended to be photographed in front of earth tones. Nice touch.

Barton (who I labelled not-Amy Poehler) was a bit of a stock character, the nosy but gifted amateur detective, but I'm afraid was just a bit too annoying for us. Browning was better as the gruff, unmannered war correspondent, who hates Findley as an evil capitalist. Alex Hyde-White (not to be confused with Hyde-Pierce or Park) made a bit of an impression. Ms. Spenser recognized him as the son of Wilfrid Hyde-White, a classic British stuffy upper-class type - he played Col. Pickering in My Fair Lady. 

So it looked good, and had a nice cozy feel, but in the end was just too silly. The reason we get stuff out of the library is that they are supposed to have standards. But in the end, it was the writers who are to blame.