Evil Under the Sun

 

 

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Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot is challenged to locate a missing jewel. To do this he must go to a small island. Guess who has a tendency to get seasick? He requests his fee in guineas (a guinea is equivalent of 21 shillings.)

Naturally someone(s) is unexplainably dispatched. Of course the island is loaded with the usual suspects. Everyone has a motive and an alibi. By this time you have completely forgotten how the movie started.

Speaking about the movie, they pulled out all the stops with expensive locations, costumes, and actors. And Cole Porter tossed in for ambiance. There was even an appearance of Roddy McDowall who played Alan "Mollymauk" Musgrave in "Lord Love A Duck" (1966)

Campy characters, a Mediterranean hotel, and a sparkling murder mystery -- what more could this big-screen Agatha Christie thriller need? "Evil Under the Sun" is both goofy and highly enjoyable, although the martini-swilling, sunny atmosphere make the murder feel rather too... relaxing.

An insurance goof and a stolen gem send Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) to "Daphne's Place," a palace-turned-hotel in a small Mediterranean country. He arrives on the same boat as famed stage actress Arlena Marshall, formerly Stuart (Diana Rigg) and her new husband and stepdaughter. Arlena turns out to be having an affair with boytoy Patrick (Nicholas Clay) -- and then she suddenly turns up, strangled on a remote beach.

There are suspects galore: her betrayed husband, resentful stepdaughter, the old rival who is attracted to Mr. Marshall, a pair of ugly American producers whom she's bankrupting, a flaming gossip writer who has written a steamy tell-all, and her boytoy's mousy wife. But no one had the opportunity -- everyone has an alibi. So Hercule Poirot exercises the "little gray cells," unravelling the clues of a discarded bottle, a midday shower, a cannon, and perfume in a cave.

Don't expect "Evil Under the Sun" to be any more faithful to its book than Arlena is to Marshall -- it's totally different from the book. Characters are changed, deleted or added in, whole subplots are added, and the sense of darkness is exchanged for a rhinestoned camp quality. The clothes say it all -- both Rigg and Maggie Smith wear faux jewels on silver lame, and American Myra resembles a Christmas tree with fur.

That said, "Evil Under the Sun's" campy quality is part of what makes it so much fun. Lots of catty, witty dialogue ("She always could throw her legs up in the air higher than the rest of us... and wider..."), sniping characters with plenty of motives, and a delightfully loathsome victim. You'll want Arlena dead by the time she tells her daughter to go play with the jellyfish, and then you'll want to know who could possibly have done the impossible.

Peter Ustinov has the right combination of smarts and comedy to play Poirot, the Belgian sleuth who saves the day and drives the hotel staff crazy. Maggie Smith also turns in a wonderful performance as the razor-tongued maitresse-en-titre-turned-hotelier, and Rigg is wonderfully catty, nasty and glamorous. The supporting cast also does a wonderful job, particularly the two who play the murderers -- and are the last ones you'd expect.

The one flaw is that all the humor, glitz and wit detract a little from the dark atmosphere one expects from a murder mystery. Instead, "Evil Under the Sun" is a campy comedy that happens to have a murder in it.

This is the second film with Peter Ustinov as Belgian Detective, Hercule Poirot, since his first, DEATH ON THE NILE (1978). Once again, an all-star cast and a mystery who-done-it. I won't reveal any of the plot. But the delightful Maggie Smith (Murder By Death [1976], California Suite [1978], Death On The Nile [1978]) plays a resort hotel owner on an island of Spain where she banters with Diana Rigg with dislike. It makes the film much more enjoyable. The cast also includes: Jane Birkin, Colin Blakely, Nicholas Clay, James Mason, Roddy McDowall, Sylvia Miles, Denis Quilley and Emily Hone. Other films followed with Ustinov as "Poirot", Thirteen At Dinner (1985-tv), Dead Man's Folly (1986-tv), Murder in Three Acts (1986-tv), Appointment With Death (1988). This DVD also includes the Theatrical trailer, a 16-minutes featurette "The Making of...", and Talent Bios.
For a lighter comedy, may I suggest MURDER BY DEATH (1976).

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3.0 out of 5 stars Murder in the sunshine
A mysterious murder, unbreakable alibis, and a stolen diamond... all wrapped up in a glitzy, mildly campy shell. Read more

Published on Jun 26 2008 by E. A Solinas

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery galore...
Agatha Christie's Evil under the sun with it's all star cast keeps your interest to the end. My wife and are especially caught up with Peter Ustinov's character mixing in with all... Read more

Published on Jan 12 2003 by Michael Colombo

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder is 'just one of those things'
Agatha Christie's murder mystery, 'Evil Under The Sun' is brought gloriously to life, in this movie from the early 80's. Read more

Published on Dec 20 2002 by C. J. Hormann

5.0 out of 5 stars Most buy!!!!!
This is one of most fav muder film of all time. The cast is brillant, the bichness between maggie smith+diana rigg is so funny. The location is amazing and would to go there. Read more

Published on Nov 7 2002 by N. brown

4.0 out of 5 stars Hooray for Poirot
This is a visually-stunning film from beginning to end. The Majorca location is breathtaking. Add to that the superb cast, and you have a dynamite experience. Read more

Published on Oct 28 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad way to leisurely spend an afternoon
So, it's not "Murder on the Orient Express", or, for that matter, one of the classic 60's Margaret Rutherford "Miss Marple" flicks. Read more

Published on Oct 13 2002 by Reginald D. Garrard

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Agatha Christie-Film-Adaption
Fantastic story, great actors, amazing costumes and sets, the wonderful Cole Porter-Soundtrack - all that makes it to the best Agatha Christie-Movie as ever made. Read more

Published on Sep 26 2002 by Gerhard Wreßnig

2.0 out of 5 stars "Everyone automatically comes up with a watertight alibi"
Evil Under the Sun is an unfortunately abysmal rendition of Agatha Christie's novel of the same name. Read more

Published on Sep 23 2002 by Jennifer Litchfield

5.0 out of 5 stars IF BABY YOU'RE THE BOTTOM.......
I don't care what others say about this delirious souffle',I like it better than the other Christie/Poirot incarnations. Read more

Published on Sep 11 2002 by Mark Norvell

5.0 out of 5 stars Great summer DVD
Great summer DVD: sweltering Mediterranean scenery, caustic characters (Silvia Miles, James Mason, Rodney McDowell, Diana Rigg), insane costumes, and stinging dialogue. Read more

Published on May 29 2002 by Gary Malanga

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