And Then There Were None [DVD]

This is what the BBC is oft acclaimed for getting so right – a period drama adaptation and add to that the fact it is based on an Agatha Christie novel - that is now too un PC to mention – it was been made before as ‘Ten Little Indians’ in 1965 and that is worth checking out too.Plot spoilers aheadThe plot is that eight people all receive invites appealing to them to join their host on an island off the Devon coast – ‘Soldier Island’. Once they all arrive they are greeted by a married couple from ‘below stairs’ who are their servants. Then at an appointed time a record player starts to play and one by one they are all accused of murder as if being indicted in a court. Then the fun begins as their fates are dictated by the children’s rhyme of, in this case, the one by one disappearance of the ten little soldiers.This has fantastic period detail and a fabulous art deco house that the fun is set in. The acting is all perfectly done in what is a masterpiece of casting. It is done in three one hour long episodes and it is all brilliantly addictive. Great fun, well made and perfectly executed (as indeed are a few cast members) this is one that is ridiculously easy to recommend.

Great entertainment, a great mystery 'who done it'.

A fantastic atmosphere played by a brilliant cast and a wonderful script. You never see the murders happening so in that sense theres little gore.My only disappointment is that its in 3 episodes and not 1 long movie. After eacg episode you are brought back to the home screen to play the next. Great for tv but not so much when you want to know who dunnit.Highly recommend. A good good one for autumn.

I saw this advertised on tv and saw what a stellar cast it was. I ordeeed it immediately! Delivery time was good and I was not disappointed with fhe product. The storyline was very detailed with nothing overlooked. A much darker Agatha Christie than we are used to generally; a real surprise!The cast was perfect, no-one letting the side down. They portrayed their characters' roles so effectivly that you ended up loving and hating the characters exactly as expected. It was a great dnsemble of this country's best and great (not forgetting the Irish and Australian additions) with some very famous names.There were lots of twists and turns and red herrings to throw you off the scent. All in all, a very enjoyable piece of drama with a nice portion of grit added for good measure!

Didn't realise it was split into three episodes, but still good and is pretty similar to the book which is always refreshing as well.

Really enjoyed it. Everything brilliant.The only thing I will mention , several continuity lapses.Don't want to give spoilers , one is the paper the judge hands about what he suspects , he wrote both sides yet on hand over , it's only one side of the note . The bullets in the gun? Only 1 was available yet when loaded , full barrel. Plus many others ,come on continuity , very poor but lighting , acting and the scene , top notch. After studying this , a lot of new flaws in continuity which the director should have picked up . Name but a few, the major on the cliff to, he rocks back and fore on his knee yet on his shot the arms are astride . Sorry to be so picky but with that kind of budget , get things right . Charles Dance said it all in the dvd extra , always been a cottage industry until now and so many skilled have gone .

A mixed bag. The criticism of some other reviewers I found largely confirmed: the many changes to characters and their back stories are unnecessary and, much worse, do distort the genius of Agatha Christie's masterpiece work.For instance, the very way in which Rogers the butler, Macarthur the general, or Blore the policeman committed their crimes is central to the plot, to the motivation of U.N. Owen luring them to the island. All killings un-punishable by the justice system. Here they are made into "active" murderers, making for gratuitously violent flashback scenes, but also ruining to a large degree the morale of the whole story. The "orgy" in part three is just as unnecessary and profoundly lacking credibility as is the sex scene between Vera Claythorne and Lombard.The Rogers character, rather a timid servant in the book, becomes a lugubrious figure with violent tendencies, almost a caricature of a "sinister" butler. Macarthur is so much more senile in the book, Miss Claythorne not nearly as tough and often outright rude as she has morphed into here. And the list could go on.And yet, there are many strengths. At last a filming that does live up to the macabre plot and ending of the book and does neither change the location, nor add a contrived, Hollywoodesque happy finale, as all the many previous films have done. The island, the house, the eerie atmosphere from the outset are chillingly effective, as is the cinematography and in particular the music. The acting is strong all through, and ought not to be blamed for the overreaching liberties the writer took, apparently obsessed to show creativity where faithfulness to the book would have been so much stronger. The horror effects strewn in I found a good idea, as terror does grip the characters one by one.All together well worth seeing, but sadly could have been much stronger still.