"Agatha Christie: Poirot" Sad Cypress (2003)

Director:

Dave Moore

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
David Pirie (screenplay)

TV Series:

"Agatha Christie: Poirot" (1989)

Original Air Date:

26 December 2003 (Season 9, Episode 2)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

Elinor Carlisle seems to be the obvious murderer of her ailing aunt and the beautiful romantic rival who broke up her engagement, but Poirot uncovers darker motives.

Plot Keywords:

Aunt | Sandwich | Salmon | Doctor | Hercule Poirot

Cast

David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Elisabeth Dermot Walsh	...	Elinor Carlisle
Rupert Penry-Jones	...	Roddy Winter
Kelly Reilly	...	Mary Gerrard
Paul McGann	...	Dr. Peter Lord
Phyllis Logan	...	Nurse Hopkins
Marion O'Dwyer	...	Nurse O'Brien
Diana Quick	...	Mrs. Welman
Stuart Laing	...	Ted Horlick
Jack Galloway	...	Marsden
Geoffrey Beevers	...	Seddon
Alistair Findlay	...	Prosecuting Counsel
Linda Spurrier	...	Mrs. Bishop
Ian Taylor	...	Shopkeeper
Timothy Carlton	...	Judge
Louise Callaghan	...	Hunterbury Maid

Directed by
Dave Moore		(as David Moore)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Agatha Christie		novel
David Pirie		screenplay

Produced by
Michele Buck	....	executive producer
Phil Clymer	....	executive producer: Chorion PLC
Delia Fine	....	executive producer: A&E Television Networks
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
Melanie Viner-Cuneo

Production Design by
Michael Pickwoad

Art Direction by
Malcolm Stone

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
Terry Bamber	....	first assistant director
David Cain	....	second assistant director
Jessica Hurles-Laws	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mike Fowlie	....	prop master
Kenneth Hambling	....	construction manager (as Ken Hambling)
Dougie Lankston	....	dressing props (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Downer	....	supervising sound editor
Tony Jackson	....	sound recordist
Billy Mahoney	....	dubbing mixer
Sarah Morton	....	dialogue editor
Mike Reardon	....	sound maintenance
Mike Reardon	....	boom operator (uncredited)

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

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

Camera and Electrical Department
Jim Boorer	....	grip
Michael Green	....	focus puller (as Mike Green)
Mike Miller	....	camera operator
Phil Penfold	....	best boy (as Philip Penfold)
Larry S. Prinz	....	lighting gaffer (as Larry Prinz)
Luan Hall	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Rab Harling	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
John Hurley	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

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

Other crew
Nuala Alen-Buckley	....	production accountant
Diane Chittell	....	production coordinator
Alan Church	....	titles
Simon Giles	....	titles
Mariette Masters	....	publicist
Phoebe Masters	....	assistant coordinator
Gina Nocero	....	senior publicist: A & E
Caroline O'Reilly	....	script supervisor
Patrick Smith	....	picture publicist
Karen Thrussell	....	script editor
Peter A. Tullo	....	location manager (as Peter Tullo)
Derek Wax	....	script executive
Emily Chittell	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Elton Farla	....	medic (uncredited)
Lawrence Stevens	....	floor runner (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 (in assocation with) (as Agatha Christie Ltd {a Chorion Company})
• Carnival Films
• London Weekend Television (LWT) (as LWT)

Distributors

• London Weekend Television (LWT) (2003) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• A&E Television Networks (2003) (USA) (all media)
• A&E Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• New Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Malavasi Editore (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• RTL Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL8)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting (uncredited)
• Pepper Post Production  post-production facilities (uncredited)

Runtime:

Finland:94 min | USA:100 min (DVD)

Country:

UK

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

The title refers to lines from William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night": "Come away, come away, death, And in sad cypress let me be laid."

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Poirot gets into a taxi he asks to be taken to 'The British Library.' This was not created until 1973. He should have asked for 'The British Museum' or 'The British Museum Library.'

Quotes:

Nurse Hopkins: As I said before, Mr. Poirot, let the dead rest in peace.
Hercule Poirot: Not when one has to consider the living.

a fine addition to the Suchet canon!

A quite engrossing if, as usual, contrived mystery. I do agree that David Suchet is the ultimate Hercule even if he's losing much of his energy. In fact, I think that "Curtain" would be the ideal Hercule for him to do at this or a little later point.

I disagree with a review that said that it was more fun with Japp, Hastings and Lemon. I thought they were brought into the earlier productions by the short hairs and not convincingly all the time.

I do agree that the Suchet "Death on the Nile" was disappointing but I'd recently seen the Ustinov again (I didn't really like him in the part.) and was only too familiar with the story so I gave up early on.

I thought the acting was generally good and everyone was well-cast.

8 out of 10.