Product Description
Poirot attempts to solve the murder of a blackmailer that took place on board of an airplane, which he happened to be travelling on.
Amazon.com
The locked-room murder mystery takes flight in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel Death in the Clouds. A poison dart gun, aristocratic blackmail, and the unexpected appearance (and disappearance) of the murder victim's illegitimate daughter add an exotic flavor to a story that is perfectly complemented by David Suchet as the world-famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. His European manners and unconventional investigating methods provide a delightful foil to Chief Inspector Japp's straightforward Scotland Yard manner. Death in the Clouds also features some of the most lavish scenery of any of the Poirot mysteries: aerial shots of English fields and the white cliffs of Dover, as well as elegant art deco interiors and the increasingly implausible hats worn by the female characters. It all culminates in a classic drawing room "whodunit" scene that Suchet handles so masterfully it never descends into cliché. The DVD transfer contains some minor compression artifacts but on the whole has excellent picture and sound quality. Special features include biographies of David Suchet and Agatha Christie, Poirot trivia questions, a filmography of all the Poirot Mystery! episodes, and a link to the official Agatha Christie Web site. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
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 Nostalgic more than anything else, and a great mystery!, 2004-07-14
I saw this with my mother on DVD ($12.99 at Sam's Club, believe it or not!) and we both enjoyed it immensely. Even my 11-year-old sister liked it (I'm 14). The scenery in this one is wonderful - Mom commented on the white cliffs of Dover. (What are those made out of, anyway? Salt? Limestone?) As usual, I read the book first and liked it a lot, but I loved the movie! As the plot centers around a murder that takes place on a plane not three feet over from a sleeping Hercule Poirot (who wishes to restore his reputation, especially when the alleged weapon is found near his seat), it takes one back to a time when air travel was mostly worry-free (except for the airsick, including Poirot) and terrorists and bomb threats were not even in the picture. My two favorite scenes are the classic drawing-room conclusion, as always, and a scene in the middle where Poirot performs a few little "experiments" aboard a plane, much to the chagrin of poor Chief Inspector Japp ("I've been to see the lawyer, Inspector - " "Chief Inspector.") ;-) Featuring David Suchet in a fine performance as the star detective, and also Cathryn Harrison as the high-society smoking gambler Lady Cicely Horbury, who, according to the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com), is the granddaughter of Rex Harrison. All in all, a great film adaptation, but also a great movie in its own right. A lot more funny moments in this one. :-)
GREAT!!!!!!!, 2005-01-12
Like always Poirot rocks!!!!! Very Nice, well done, the plot is wonderfull, the acting too. Go Poirot !!!
 The STEWARDESS did it!! Or did she??, 2004-07-29
+++++
I watched this movie without reading the 1935 Dame Agatha Christie novel that it is based on. I'm glad I did this! Why? Because it forced me to really watch the movie in order to try and deduce who the murderer was.
As a brief synopsis, the murder takes place on a plane in flight and involves an insect (wasp) as well as a poison dart. Also on the plane is (you guessed it) the great sleuth himself, Hercule Poirot (David Suchet). The actual murder takes place "not 10 metres [or about 30 feet] away from him." As a result, Poirot has to "restore his reputation" by solving the crime. He is aided in his investigation by Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson). Eventually another person that was on the plane is killed but it appears to be a suicide.
One thing both Poirot and Japp are sure of is that the murder on the plane is not your "normal" murder. Poirot has trouble "sinking his teeth" into this case.
Who are the passengers and workers on the plane? There are nine altogether besides Poirot and they are as follows:
1. Ex-actress Lady (Cicely) Horbury (Cathryn Harrison)
2. Socialite and money lender Madame Giselle (Eve Pearce)
3. Archaeologist Jean Dupont (Guy Manning)
4. Crime Novelist Daniel Clancy (Roger Heathcott)
5. Stewardess Jane Grey (Sarah Woodward)
6. Steward Michael (John Bleasedale)
7. Dentist Norman Gale (Shawn Scott)
8. Maid to Cicely (Jenny Downham)
9. Friend to Cicely, Venetia Kerr (Amanda Royle)
Of the eleven actors above, Suchet's performance stands out. I feel he does a stellar job in his performance as Poirot. His interactions with Japp are sometimes comical. Another performance to look for is that of Cathryn Harrison as the now seemingly wealthy Lady Horbury.
The cinematography of this movie is visually stunning. This movie takes place in Paris and we are shown close-ups of major landmarks. The costumes are authentic looking. As well, the background music adds to each scene.
The DVD (where the movie is in full screen format) has four extras. Of these, I found three interesting: biographies of Suchet and Christie as well as the one entitled "Poirot Trivia."
Finally, the only problem I had with this movie was with the final scene where Poirot deduces who the killer is. If you've been keeping track there are now seven suspects. But in this final scene there are only five shown! There is a sixth person in this scene but that person was not even on the plane when the murder was committed. One of the missing suspects is briefly assumed to be innocent (no explanation is given as to why). The other missing suspect is not even mentioned! Thus, I found this final deduction scene somewhat disappointing.
In conclusion, this is a fun movie, even if you have read the novel!!
(1992; made for TV; 100 min; British drama; 10 scenes; color)
+++++
Excellent Series, 2010-04-22
I'm getting the entire series - bit by bit. That's how much I like Suchet and Poirot.
Poirot at his best, 2010-04-08
I have been addicted to Agatha Christie for 35 years and when her books and main characters became a series I couldn't have been happier . Piorot is as always in his prime with each mystery he solves. This was also an A++ for the viewer
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