August 14 - Evil Under the Sun(2001)

This is a movie with a scene that happens today – August 14. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

EVIL UNDER THE SUN                    

In an English village Miss Corrigan is found strangled by a woman cyclist, but the prime suspect, her fiancée has an ironclad alibi. Hercule Poirot goes to eat at Capt. Hastings new Argentine restaurant, but passes out. His doctor says he’s obese and orders him to the Sandy Cove Hotel for a health cure. Poirot and Hastings arrive there on August 14, 1936.[9:35 to 28:46]. The actress Arlena Stuart is staying there with her husband Kenneth Marshall and step-son Lionel. Patrick and Christine Redfern also arrive. It soon becomes apparent Patrick is having an affair with Arlena and Christine and Kenneth both know about it. The next day Arelena goes alone to Pixie Cove. Christine and Lionel go to Gull Cove. Patrick and the older Emily Brewster take a rowboat around around the island. When they stop at Pixie cove they find Arlena’s body. She had been strangled. Inspector Japp arrives and with Poirot and Hastings begins investigating the murder. Christine suggests, based on an overheard phone conversation that Arlena was being blackmailed, but this is later disproved. Drug smugglers are arrested, but this has nothing to do with the murder. Rev. Lane who is on the island came from the village where the other murder occurred. Poirot tells what really happened. Christine set Lionel’s watch ahead and then back. She left and went to Pixie cove. Arlena was waiting to meet Patrick so when Christine arrived she hid in a cave. Christine disguised her self to look like Arlena and pretended to be dead when Patrick and Miss Brewster arrived. After Miss Brewster left to get help, Christine left and Patrick killed Arlena. Rev. Lane identifies Patrick and Christine as the ones involved in the Corrigan murder and they are arrested. Capt. Hastings restaurant is shut down as it is discovered Poirot was actually a victim of food poisoning.         

Another superbly plotted mystery by Agatha Christie creates a wonderful mystery film. There are plenty of red herrings thrown about, but none of them deflect Poirot from the truth. All in all a very enjoyable brainteaser of a mystery.

At 42:49, on the day after they arrive,  Hastings references a telegram dated ‘three days ago’. At 1:11:52 we see the telegram is dated August 12, meaning Hastings reads it on the 15^th, so they day they arrive is the 14^th. 

Producer –  Brian Eastman

Director – Brian Farnham

Screenplay – Anthony Horowitz

Runtime – 1 hour 40 minutes

Released – April 20, 2001

Starring –

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot

Hugh Fraser as Capt. Hastings

Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp

Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon

Michael Higgs as Patrick Redfern

Tamzin Malleson as Christine Redfern

Louise Delamere as Arlena Stuart

Tim Meats as Stephen Lane

Carolyn Pickles as Emily Brewster

David Mallinson as Kenneth Marshall