Yet another realization based on Agatha Christie novel in which there is a good cast who gives regular acting , nice set design , a twisted as well as confuse intrigue and logic absent . Dealing with an American Paleontologist called Dr. Arthur Calgary (Donald Sutherland) visits Mister Argyle (Christopher Plummer) to give him an address book that belongs to his son Jack Argyle , but the latter has been executed , condemned for murder his mother (all of Faye Dunaway's cameo is a black and white flashback) . Calgary has evidence that the convicted killer is innocent , but no one , neither a hard-nosed Police officer (Michael Elphick) modeled in American-style cop , nor villagers wish to reopen the case . Once the murder was solved , the real mystery began and Calgary learns that justice has been ill served in a small British community . After the clues have been shown we will get a chance to give the answer with Calgary finding out about the culprit at a twisted finale with outstanding surprises . Who is the killer? , can he find the true guilty?
The film is a detective story with Donald Sutherland as an amateur sleuth and in which you are the detective ; being middlingly shot , though filmmaker conjures up some atmospheric scenes . Too much red herrings it makes a little bit boring , pedestrian , endless and overlong . Stellar cast , but frankly wasted and interpretations are almost all phoned in . In the picture there is mystery , emotion , murders , suspense , pointless scenes and gorgeous outdoors . It packs a very good British support casting, such as : Sarah Miles , though miscast as Faye Dunaway's daughter , Ian McShane as Philip Durant , Diana Quick as Gwenda Vaughan , Annette Crosbie as Kirsten Lindstrom , Michael Elphick as Inspector Huish , George Innes as Archie Leach , and a young Phoebe Nicholls as Tina Argyle in some nudism scenes . The movie gets a lush costume design and acceptable production by known Cannon films , Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan , being well set in 1950s England, though being reallly cut because of budgetery reasons .
It contains colorful and glowing cinematography in Eastmancolor by excellent cameraman Billy Williams . Filmed on location in Dartmouth, Devon, England, UK . Dave Brubeck's unappropriate and anti-climatic soundtrack, including obstrusive jazz score that seems to belong to some other movie . Dave Brubeck replaced Pino Donaggio, who composed an enjoyable and sadly rejected musical score. The picture was a Box office flop , though received a Royal Premiere in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip . The motion picture was regularly directed by Desmond Davis , containing some flaws, gaps and poor edition . Davis is an an expert on TV movies and television episodes , he also filmed some movies, such as : the notorious ¨Clash of titans¨, ¨Girl with green eyes¨ , ¨Smashing time¨, ¨The uncle ¨and a Sherlock Holmes flick , ¨The sign of four¨. Rating : 4.5/10 . Average, exclusively for hardcore fans of the star-studded cast.
