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Witness for the Prosecution

66 replies

Clawdy · 27/12/2016 09:53

Brilliantly acted, gripping, but I wish there had been more of an Agatha Christie feel to it - the swearing and sex scenes, especially that rather gratuitous Mayhew one, just seemed wrong to me. It reminded me a bit of Rillington Place - wrong Christie!

OP posts:
Optimist1 · 27/12/2016 12:33

Unlike you, Clawdy, I'm not a massive AC fan, but in my eyes Toby Jones can do no wrong so I watched it and was very pleased with the atmospheric drama as it played out. Looking forward to tonight's episode! (One small niggle - the detective said "knock yourself out" when Mayhew said he was taking the case, which to my mind is a modern phrase not a 1920's one.)

LineyReborn · 27/12/2016 12:56

I watched it last night with DD(20) and we both agreed that the Mayhew sex scene would have ruined the family Christmases of many viewers the ex in-laws such was its pointless ferocity.

GraceGrape · 27/12/2016 13:32

Definitely not a traditional Christie but very atmospheric. Also, I like it because usually I've read the books and know whodunit but I don't know the story this time!

Davros · 27/12/2016 13:33

I said the very same about "knock yourself out". It's a great production with excellent cast but, having seen the film with Marlene Dietrich, I seem to remember that the story is a bit silly. Perfect Xmas fare!

annandale · 27/12/2016 13:42

Liked it but bloody hell it was dark. Some people did enjoy themselves in 1923. Agree that Toby Jones is amazing but I've now seen him in so many black as pitch dramas I might have to rewatch The Detectorists to remember what he looks like in daylight.

magicstar1 · 27/12/2016 14:35

The original version with Charles Laughton is one of my all time favourite movies. I recorded this last night...hope it's good now

absolutelynotfabulous · 27/12/2016 16:49

I thought it was very good. The sex scene with Mayhew coughing all over his wife was a bit bleurgh though, as was his coughing fit ay the end of Ep 1. Probably realistic though.

Did anyone notice that, in the first few scenes showing the body, there was lots of blood; but later on the body was shown but with little, if any, blood? Did I imagine it?

There's bound to be a twist, so I reckon Romaine dunnit.

LouiseBrooks · 27/12/2016 17:27

There's one heck of a twist - or two! Maybe it's because I remember the film so well that I'm not really feeling this. Some of it is good but - why is it all so greeny/yellow? What happened to nasty Christine, the original lead showgirl? What was the point of the Toby Jones sex scene?

That said, TJ is brilliant and the lady playing his wife was superb at portraying her sadness without even saying much and I will watch part 2 to see if it picks up but last year's AC offering was a lot better I thought.

Floralnomad · 27/12/2016 17:49

I thought it was very slow ( I do know the story) and would have been better as a 90 minute one off rather than try and pull it to 2 hours by padding with the sex scenes etc , we are not impressed enough to bother with watching the second half tonight .

Original poster
Clawdy · 27/12/2016 18:24

Toby Jones is an amazing actor, but we are seeing rather a lot of him at the moment.

OP posts:
moglovesselectionboxes · 27/12/2016 18:30

louise I said the same about the colour. Dh is watching tonight but I'm not sure I'll bother. Last years was better I thought but it did have Aiden Turner to drool over

Madbengalmum · 27/12/2016 18:34

Wasnt impressed. Very slow and dull.

AlabasterSnowball · 27/12/2016 18:43

I was expecting better. I enjoyed 'And then there were none' much more last year. I like Toby Jones but I hate films and programmes that seem to be in continual darkness. That ruined it for me.

PinkBuffalo · 27/12/2016 19:03

I wasn't impressed either. Actually, to be fair I probably wasn't giving it much of a chance to begin with. I said how have they made a short story into two hours. I guess they've added all sorts to it. I haven't seen the film, only read the story.
I'm probably not going to watch the rest. I agree that the one last year was better. But that was a longer story to begin with.

Jaynebxl · 27/12/2016 21:45

Anyone else watching the rest? It had to be one of those two huh? Only two suspects unless you count the cat.

braceybracegirl · 27/12/2016 21:45

Anyone watching?

Jaynebxl · 27/12/2016 21:49

Me!

braceybracegirl · 27/12/2016 21:53

I knew the twist. The original film is better.

AlabasterSnowball · 27/12/2016 21:55

Oh this second part is much better than last night.

braceybracegirl · 27/12/2016 22:04

Disappointed

annandale · 27/12/2016 22:05

It's being so cheerful as keeps me going Confused

Optimist1 · 27/12/2016 22:12

I watched it. I liked the way the lighting was clearer, their clothes were lighter in colour and Mayhew's health was better once Janet was convicted; should have made me suspect that all was not as it seemed - the final reveal was quite a surprise. Not surprising that he took his life - everything he'd believed in (his professional reputation, his relationship with his wife, his judgment of of what was right and wrong) was flawed. I much preferred it to the people on an inaccessible island getting bumped off one by one, even if the lovely Charles Dance was in it.

braceybracegirl · 27/12/2016 22:18

You have to watch the original film. The ending is so much better.

user1481214040 · 27/12/2016 22:20

What a shit story. Worse than And Then There Were None.

magicstar1 · 27/12/2016 22:23

Meh, they really dragged out that ending. The movie was much better...though it's also being remade with Ben Affleck next great - will be interesting to compare.

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