"Agatha Christie: Poirot" Five Little Pigs (2003)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Paul Unwin

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Kevin Elyot (screenplay)

TV Series:

"Agatha Christie: Poirot" (1989)

Original Air Date:

14 December 2003 (Season 9, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

Lucy Crale enlists Poirot to investigate the fourteen-year-old murder case in which her mother was hanged for poisoning her philandering painter father.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Hercule Poirot | Poison | Artist | Detective

Cast

David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Rachael Stirling	...	Caroline Crale
Aidan Gillen	...	Amyas Crale
Toby Stephens	...	Philip Blake
Marc Warren	...	Meredith Blake
Aimee Mullins	...	Lucy Crale
Julie Cox	...	Elsa Greer
Gemma Jones	...	Miss Williams
Sophie Winkleman	...	Angela Warren
Talulah Riley	...	Young Angela
Patrick Malahide	...	Depleach
Annette Badland	...	Mrs. Spriggs
Roger Brierley	...	Judge
Richard Teverson	...	Hollinghurst
Melissa Suffield	...	Young Lucy
Lottie Unwin	...	Young Caroline
Darien Smith	...	Young Amyas
Jacek Bilinski	...	Young Philip
Joel de Temperley	...	Young Meredith

Directed by
Paul Unwin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Agatha Christie		novel "Five Little Pigs"
Kevin Elyot		screenplay

Produced by
Michele Buck	....	executive producer
Phil Clymer	....	executive producer: Chorion PLC
Delia Fine	....	executive producer: A&E Television Network
Leila Kirkpatrick	....	line producer
Margaret Mitchell	....	producer
Emilio Nunez	....	supervising producer: A&E Television Networks
David Suchet	....	associate producer
Damien Timmer	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Gunning

Cinematography by
Martin Fuhrer		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jon Costelloe

Casting by
Maureen Duff
Gail Stevens

Production Design by
Stuart Walker

Art Direction by
Fleur Whitlock

Set Decoration by
Mark Rimmell

Costume Design by
Sheena Napier

Makeup Department
Carol Cooper	....	makeup designer
Rupert Simon	....	makeup artist
Sian Turner	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fiona McGuire	....	executive in charge of production
Kate Stannard	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jessica Hurles-Laws	....	third assistant director (as Jessica Hurles)
Gareth Tandy	....	first assistant director
Paula Turnbull	....	second assistant director
David Zealey	....	third assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Steve Ede	....	construction manager
John Hogan	....	property master
Dougie Lankston	....	props

Sound Department
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
John Downer	....	supervising sound editor
Tony Jackson	....	sound recordist
Billy Mahoney	....	dubbing mixer
Sarah Morton	....	dialogue editor
Mike Reardon	....	sound maintenance
Nigel Squibbs	....	assistant dubbing mixer

Visual Effects by
Alan Church	....	visual affects titles
Simon Giles	....	visual effects titles

Stunts
Ray Donn	....	stunt double: David Suchet

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Boorer	....	grip
Rab Harling	....	clapper loader
Ed Jones	....	clapper loader
Keith McNamara	....	focus puller
Mike Miller	....	camera operator
Phil Penfold	....	best boy (as Philip Penfold)
Rupert Power	....	Steadicam operator
Larry S. Prinz	....	gaffer (as Larry Prinz)

Casting Department
Claire Saunders	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tamar Zaig	....	assistant costume designer
Jason Gill	....	costume assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Chris Beeton	....	telecine colorist
Anya Dillon	....	assistant editor
Simon Giblin	....	on-line editor

Other crew
Nuala Alen-Buckley	....	production accountant
Adam Browne	....	location manager
Diane Chittell	....	production coordinator
Elton Farla	....	unit medic
Simon Giles	....	title designer
Phoebe Masters	....	assistant coordinator
Lawrence Stevens	....	floor runner
Carol Thompson	....	script supervisor
Karen Thrussell	....	script editor
Derek Wax	....	script executive
Emily Chittell	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leonie Barker	....	wardrobe mistress

Other crew
Mark Albela	....	location manager
Daren Thomas	....	location runner

Production Companies

• A&E Television Networks (in association with)
• Agatha Christie
• Granada Television (as Granada)
• London Weekend Television (LWT)

Distributors

• A&E Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• A&E Television Networks (2004) (USA) (TV)
• Chorion (2003) (UK) (all media) (as Chorion)
• Granada Ventures (2003) (UK) (all media) (as Granada Ventures)
• ITV DVD (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Malavasi Editore (2005) (Italy) (video)
• New Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• Molinare Studio  sound post-production
• Pepper Post Production  post-production facilities

Runtime:

100 min | Finland:94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Australia:M

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

Meredith Blake is also the name given to a character in The Parent Trap (1998).

Quotes:

Hercule Poirot: The truth, it has the habit of revealing itself...

Soundtrack:

Gnossienne No. 1

up to the standards of the series

Another of the darker Poirots with David Suchet up to his high standards. Also known as "Murder in Retrospect" I won't comment on the plot which has been adequately covered already and though I surely read the book quite a while ago, I didn't remember the culprit.

A solution was clearly telegraphed early on but it turned out not to be the case and so I was somewhat surprised by the conclusion. Again, I appreciated the absence of Hastings, Lemon and Japp who would have certainly been out of place here.

I assume that the producers of the series are determined to fill in all the gaps in Mr. Suchet's participation even if it is a "Herculean" task. It was nice to see Patrick Malahide of the Marsch Inspector Alleyn series and the cast was very good indeed.