Film Review
Something wicked this way comes... Pascal Thomas's adaptation of Agatha Christie's
novel
By the Pricking of My Thumbs feels more like a slightly embarrassing murder mystery
weekend than a serious reinterpretation of a classic English thriller. Whilst the
film is pretty faithful to the novel on which it is based, Pascal Thomas gives it a far
from subtle comic twist which dilutes the sense of menace and intrigue without adding
much in terms of entertainment value.
The film's main draw is Catherine Frot's spirited portrayal of an amateur sleuth.
It's the third time the actress has worked with Pascal Thomas - their most successful
collaboration being
La
Dilettante (1999). Although Frot handles the comedy brilliantly, a lacklustre,
cliché-heavy script prevents her from making her character particularly convincing.
Likewise, Thomas's direction lacks the discipline and maturity of many of his previous
films, even if the end result is mildly entertaining, if only as a half-hearted send-up
of a popular genre. Playing the part of Catherine Frot's daughter in this film is
Sarah Biasini, the daughter of the iconic film actress Romy Schneider.
The popularity of
Mon petit doigt m'a dit... led Pascal Thomas to
follow this with other Agatha Christie adapatations, with Frot and Dussollier
teaming up for
Le Crime est notre affaire (2008)
and
Associés contre le crime (2012).
© James Travers 2007
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.
Next Pascal Thomas film:
Le Grand appartement (2006)
Film Synopsis
Bélisaire and Prudence Beresford are surprised to learn of the death
of an aged aunt not long after they paid her a visit at her comfortable retirement
home. The disappearance of another old woman at the same immaculate
residence arouses not only Prudence's suspicions but also her latent amateur
sleuth tendencies. Examining her aunt's possessions, she comes across
a painting of a country house that she vaguely recognises. Could this
be the key to the mystery, she wonders? Ignoring Bélisaire's
insistence that she is imagining things, Prudence begins to investigate what
she believes to be a crime of frightening proportions. It isn't long
before her suspicions are borne out...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.