Nemesis follows a similar pattern to Sleeping Murder in that the story involves trying to find out the facts of a long ago murder, picking up clues along the way - in other words, we play detective with Miss Marple. For her, however, it all begins so mysteriously. It starts with the imminent death of Jason Rafiel, a wealthy man Miss Marple befriended on another case (which, inexplicably, wasn't made until 2 years later!), but who is now dying of throat cancer. Aching with sadness and regret, Frank Gatliff only has 5 minutes screen time as Jason Rafiel, but he is superb, adding such nuance to the role, and my only regret is that he wasn't cast when the character returned in A Caribbean Mystery in 1989. When Jane Marple reads of his death in the papers she is naturally shocked, but then receives a further surprise when she gets a letter from his solicitors, who explain Rafiel wanted her to look into a crime that took place some years ago. What that crime was they do not know, but Rafiel has also arranged her to go on a coach trip on a tour of Stately Homes with a group of other people, where if she is successful she will inherit £20,000.
All very mysterious, and with so few clues it's more like a mystery tour for Miss Marple - and for us. There are a unusual mixture of passengers, but one that catches her eye is retired schoolteacher Miss Temple (Helen Cherry), who after meeting during a tour of the gardens relays to her the story of a former pupil of hers, Verity Hunt, who was engaged to Jason Rafiel's son Michael, but ended up murdered. Later she receives a vist from Lavinia Glynne (Valerie Lush), who informs her that Rafiel wrote to her and her sisters to offer accomodation for her, and when she learns that they were the guardians who brought up Verity she is certain it is this crime Rafiel wanted investigating. His son Michael was arrested but never charged with Verity's murder, and now he wanders as a down and out. But is her job to exonerate him or convict him? For if he didn't do it, then the culprit must be lurking among the villagers or the passengers on the coach tour.
One thing Nemesis does well is conjour up a sense of foreboding, as so many of the suspects have a sense of menace to them. From seemingly harmless looking Professor Wanstead (John Horsley), and the sharply dressed female duo Miss Cooke and Miss Barrow (Jane Booker and Alison Skilbeck), to the eerily odd Bradbury Scott sisters Clothilde and Anthea (Margaret Tyzack and Anna Cropper), who still live in their rambling old house cut off from the world, everyone seems to be a threat in some unexplained way. When Lavinia Glynne turns up to offer Miss Marple accomodation, Valerie Lush conjours up such a unsettling presence even when being pleasant that your first thought is for Miss Marple to run for the hills! It isn't helped that Miss Marple has been lumbered with her nephew Lionel (Peter Tilbury) on the tour after he was kicked out by his wife, and who is so bumbling you feel he would of handed her over to a group of satanists if they had knocked on the hotel door and asked for her! He is little more than a irritation to the story and eventually Miss Marple sends him off to hunt down Michael Rafiel among the down and outs - presumably just to get him out from under her feet!
There's a real sense of melancholy that runs through this mystery. It has to be said that Nemesis is not a particularly eventful mystery, and it's pace can be somewhat slow at times. But it's interest is more in human emotion, as Miss Marple goes about uncovering the life and personality of the dead girl Verity Hunt, the feel of so much promise brutally cut down and how her death still affects so many people even now. And it is in this that it is particularly effective. There is a memorable scene involving Liz Fraser as the mother of another girl who disappeared around the same time as Verity being questioned. It's a beautifully played scene, as Fraser looks back on her memories not just of Verity but of her own daughter, while showing the devastation her disappearance has had on her life. Fraser is remarkably affecting, and demonstrates that she was more than just a cheery blonde bombshell of British comedy films. But she is not the only one who gives a good performance.
Chief among the plaudits is Helen Cherry as the retired school mistress Miss Temple, who holds the key to the whole mystery. She is magnetic in the role, giving a beautifully judged performance that is both gentle and wistful, with an authority about her character that just draws your attention without being showy. It's a wonderful performance, but matching her in different ways are Margaret Tyzack and Anna Cropper as the Bradbury-Scott sisters. While Cropper does well as the hysterical nervous wreck that is Anthea, Tyzack is even better as Clothilde, with a character that can range from seemingly sinister to touchingly sympathetic, with both sisters still haunted by the death of Verity. Even the seemingly lesser characters make an impact, from cheery, clipped, slightly dippy tour guide Madge (Joanna Hole) to Peter Copley in a small role as Archdeacon Brabazon that radiates goodness. But even of more interest are the characters Miss Cooke and Miss Barrow, played by Jane Booker and Alison Skilbeck. They are strangely ambiguous in this mystery in so many ways. Smartly suited and polite, it's hard to know for much of this whodunnit whether they are a friend or foe to Miss Marple, as they act so mysteriously. But equally of interest is the inference throughout that they are a lesbian couple. Although it's still done in a subtle way, it's clearly implied that they are a couple, not least the scene when they are searching for Miss Marple on their motorbike and Booker's character lovingly wraps her arms around Skilbeck's waist before driving off. It's a lovely and surprisingly bold touch for a Miss Marple without being overtly obvious about it, but it's clear all the same which way these ladies are inclined.
As with so much of this mystery there is a sense of foreboding as it nears it's conclusion, culminating in a memorable climax where Miss Marple, seemingly alone and defenceless, looks genuinely vulnerable to a threat to her life. It's a superbly handled scene, and it's denouement is as shocking, moving and as creepy in equal measure. There are flaws to this adaptation. The scenes involving Michael Rafiel (Bruce Payne) and the search for him feel more like a diversion from the actual mystery, while his makeover at the end are one of the few times when someone has looked better as a tramp than being done up. One thing that does work better from the 1971 book is by it being set in the 1950's. Unlike the previous mystery At Bertram's Hotel, it's 1950's setting actually add to it's eeriness and sense of isolation in the village, or how it would of seemed to the dead girl. It may be slow paced, but as a human drama and a study of human psychology it remains a fascinating watch. It's not as outstanding as many reviews on here have claimed, but as a mystery it is as absorbing as it is human.
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