The Thursday Murder Club

[AnneElliotfanclub]

Anyone else been to see this? Was really looking forward to it but rather disappointed by changes to the plot.

I was also really disappointed they didn't show almost any of the actual gatherings of the club or their discussions. Instead, it was all Helen Mirren running the show and solving things and swooshing about in her expensive car. That's what I imagined it would be - them at their crime board, solving an intricate crime in ingenious ways - not a tone-deaf farce

Yes, much as I like Mirren in other work the primary character in the book is Joyce and a key part of the narrative was the conversations around the crime board. As for Elizabeth being given an Aston Martin as a retirement gift from a civil service department - perhaps the CIA is ritzier than the UK civil service in this respect.

It did feel very much made for a US audience with a Hogwarts/Downton view of Britain. Adaptations like this make me wonder why they bothered buying the rights when the trope of oldie sleuths is hardly copyright or unusual and they could have created something new using a trad format (as per Knives Out).

I found it as dull as the book , couldn’t finish the book because I gave up caring . Stellar cast but it just wasn’t very good .

It was for the American market, but I did enjoy it as some escapism and there hasn’t been much on tv lately.
I’m surprised though that Richard Curtis wasn’t involved and I bet that Hugh Grant has a cameo of some sort in the next one, but I haven’t read the other books , so no idea who he would play tbh. lol

Watched it last night and I seem to be in a minority here as I really enjoyed it!

Of course they have had to streamline the plot. Doesn't that happen with almost every book that is ever filmed? Actually it is so long since I read the first book that I had forgotten any sub-plots anyway. I found it amusing and easy watching.

As to casting I am mostly OK with that. Helen Mirren is a brilliant Elizabeth and Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie work for me as Ibrahim and Joyce. I was surprised when I read Pearce Brosnan was Ron as that is not how I pictured Ron, but actually I think it worked on screen. Jonathon Pryce is brilliant as Stephen.

I hope they make more, but you never can tell with streamers can you? And if they hang on and have long gaps between releases that isn't going to work well with a cast that age!

This is a good question. I can't give you any spoilers because I didn't even finish the book. I think for me, I loved TMC because it was so relatable - the cultural references, the emotions and thoughts of the characters, but particularly the characters themselves. With WSM I just couldn't relate (I think there's a ninja body guard, a famous author - I pictured Jackie Collins, influencer famous for being famous etc.).

Also, I found the settings in TMC so easy to picture. I have relatives who live in sheltered accommodation and I live in a market town. WSM seems to involve helicopters and private islands with safe rooms.

It's annoying to know that Osman will share the writing time between two series. Grr.

I'd love to hear from what others thought and how they compare.

@JudeyJudey that's exactly what I liked about TMC too. I know people like Joyce; in fact, I could see myself being like Joyce when I'm older. Without the horniness. Or maybe with, when the tiredness from looking after children in my 40s lifts! I'll have to learn how to bake...

The minute it became clear this was to be a film (instead of a series) and for the American market, it was pretty clear it wouldn’t be a fair reflection on the book.

Part of the books success is it touches on some fairly serious issues and feelings - grief, mother/daughter relationships, suicide and of course dementia - and builds proper character arcs whilst maintaining humour and a murder mystery plot. It’s straddled fairly serious/light hearted in a way that not many books manage to do successfully.

It’s a bit like the Stephen King books - essentially they’re horror stories but with sub themes of serious issues (grief: loss; bullying; child abuse etc). The films/series never really bring those themes to the fore as they focus on the horror.

The TMC film essentially strips away the best bits in some respects (and mangles the plot and characters). Much as I like the cast, it’s a poor advert for the book.

Is the book better? I feel asleep watching the film but it was all a bit boring

I was so disappointed. It likes some 1980’s caper. So basic and could have been far more sophisticated like the book. Really dumbed it down. And poor Bogdan took one for the plot line. The most embarrassing bit was Elizabeth in her ‘present from Mi6’. Just cringe.

💯

To be fair, the books are a bit silly too.

Just watching it for the second time. Apart from feeling more and more that Pierce Brosnan's accent is the modern day equivalent of Dick van Dyke's Bert, there is another (minor) irritant. Some characters say Venth-um and others say Vent-um. Why? Perhaps like real life where people's names get mispronounced all the time. Still annoying.

I don’t think it worked as a film. It needed to be a series and double the length.

Helen Mirren and Celia Imrie were great but I think the two men were miscast. I quite liked Jonathan Pryce though.

disappointed with the plot changes too.

Watched it last night. I definitely feel it was made with a US audience in mind. A series would have been better to develop the characters, as the sub plots were very much missing, and what made the books a good read.

I loved it too!

The boom was terrible but I really like the film. Easy watch like a Midsomer Murder

I was disappointed by it. It was like a cross between an episode of Murder, She Wrote and Scooby Doo. And the acting was poor.

I agree - I have been listening to the audio book of WSM for about 6 months now, I use it to fall asleep as I just can’t get into it.

Watched it this afternoon whilst ironing for holiday packing and surprised myself by really enjoying it. Don’t LOVE any of the books, but I love Richard Osman, so I can never resist.😆 Probably helped that I came in with low expectations, but I liked it a lot (although yes, Bogdan😖).

Just watched it and oh dear - what a dud. Always dull and twee in places, I had no investment in the murder mystery plot and thought there were too many characters - maybe a TV series would have worked better. Thought the stakes were low, which isn't what's needed in this genre.

I'm surprised Ben Kingsley agreed to play Ibrahim when he hardly did anything. Some other actors - Celia Imrie, Daniel Mays - play the same characters they've done a million times before and this adds to the boring factor. Gary Oldman or Alfred Molina should have played Ron.

This is easily the worst film I've seen so far this year. I suspect that the preview screenings didn't go as hoped, which meant that Netflix dropped plans to launch a multi-million dollar marketing campaign for a proposed cinema release in favour of a (cheaper) subdued launch in a handful of cinemas, quietly dropping on Netflix a few days later.

I saw the second book on my shelf and I had forgotten that not only did I buy it , but I have also read it!
Shows that age is catching up with me as I really thought I hadn’t read any more than the first one.
Book two is easier to read, a silly story , but more entertaining than 1.
I haven’t read 3 or 4 but I might now.

Both RO and Daniel Mays have posted on Inst that the show is Number 1 globally on Netflix, it means Netflix will
make more....

The most disappointing film I can remember watching.

Pierce Brosnan was awful and sounded like Dick Van Dyck in Mary Poppins.

There was so much wrong with I don’t know where to start.

It was so naff and twee

I wished Richard Curtis could have directed it as he would have
brought the humour from the books to the screen. He would also have made it less glossy and polished which was obviously aimed at the American market.

Also why couldn’t they have filmed the outside scenes in a real town rather than a film set? That irked me as well

1/10 from me

Yes I was expecting modern compact low ceiling flats which is more realistic not the high ceiling mansion apartments

I love the 4 books - like a PP said I can imagine Elizabeth and Joyce etc, the descriptiveness of it and the added character details

I did not like We Solve Murders - could not relate at all, plot vey contrived and I didn't care about the main characters at all