Marple (TV Series) Sleeping Murder (2006) User Reviews

It's utterly flawed, but Sophia Myles is a class act

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 14 August 2015]

It starts off incredibly bright and vibrant with the Indian dancers, you can't beat a bit of Julian Wadham. The music is quite nice too. We get a glimpse of young Gwen, and the sad tail of her mother's death. They clearly tried to do something different, and it's all started off really well.

Sadly it starts to go a little off the boil...

Sophia Myles is a beautiful girl and makes a very good Gwen, but her realisation that she's been in that house before is forced through too quickly, it feels rushed. Sophia does act her scenes out brilliantly though and her terror at the flashback is truly well done.

The Theatre scene is stunning, DAME Harriet Walter on stage, joyous, once again Myles is up to the mark.

Charles Vanstone's voice overs are cringe worthy, and serve no real purpose. Where did he get that ridiculous voice from!!

Una Stubbs is how can i put it, unusual in the role I have to admit, and she looks like Geraldine's grandmother, which way have they done her up!!!! Geraldine herself looks a big ragged in Sleeping Murder, she's wearing some dubious cotton seconds.

I hated the Funnybones, each of them are actresses and actors of some quality, but they are given a shambles of a script. Sarah Parish is marvellous through, definitely the best of the bunch, Dawn French is NO singer.

I am a lifelong fan of Hickson's versions, and they are glorious, I did not want to do the usual comparisons because they are totally different, but they are leagues apart. Personally I was always a fan of changes to the scripts and updates, I know the JH version and the book so well, I welcome a few changes, good ones that is, largely they got them wrong here.

I'm one of the few that loved McEwan's Jane Marple, I loved the twinkle in the eye, but she was very poorly written for in this one.

It get's a 6, largely because of the performances of Sophia Myles and Phil Davies, without them it would have been a 5. The script is a little disjointed, it could have been so good, especially with the stellar cast. The last 20 minutes are the high point, really good. Shame the rest wasn't the same quality.

Good, but somehow manages to make a mess of the book!

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 5 May 2009]

The book is without doubt the creepiest Marple book, and one of my favourite Agatha Christies. This adaptation is good, but could have been much better, had it been a lot closer to the source material. I didn't like the inclusion of the Funnybones group, and other characters were left out entirely, and those who were left in were quite badly altered. Though I must give credit to Sophia Myles, who did give Gwenda a very nervous edge, especially during the Duchess of Malfi performance, with the line "Cover her face" which creeped me out in the Joan Hickson version, but not really here. The acting was okay, but I wish they made Kennedy Scottish like they did in the Joan Hickson adaptation. As much an excellent actor Phil Davis is, he wasn't my idea of Kennedy. He was too young, compared to the Kennedy in the Joan Hickson version. This is beautifully shot, with some creepy moments in the beginning, but somehow falls rapidly downhill after The Duchess of Malfi scene. As most of the commentators had established already, the biggest letdown was the ending. In alternative to the genuinely frightening one in the book and the Joan Hickson version, it was turned into a Poirot- like charade with ghastly plot changes. Also it seemed rushed, and almost nonsensical, though I was touched that Gwenda found love at the end, despite the fact she's married in the book. In conclusion, this version could have been better. See the Joan Hickson version instead. Sorry I'm comparing this to the Joan Hickson series, but that did a much better job conveying the much-needed creepiness of the book. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Well...

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 8 May 2010]

I was quite taken aback by the reviews here, but for good reason. I read all of the Agatha Christie books and stories years and years ago. Truthfully I can't remember some of them in great detail. While I found "Sleeping Murder" confusing, I didn't realize nearly everything about Christie's story had been changed.

I'll also be brutally honest - I liked Joan Hickson's acting, but she wasn't my idea of Miss Marple. She wasn't lively enough. You know how it is, you read a book and you get a picture in your mind. Mine was always Helen Hayes, don't ask me why - a little old lady with bright eyes and a beautiful smile and a sharp mind. I have to agree - this Marple, Geraldine McEwan, is too knowing. Miss Marple in the books had a cheerful, nonthreatening way about her, and she always solved the mysteries by making a comparison to happenings in the village of St. Mary Mead.

Anyway, I digress - this story apparently retains very little of the original. It's gorgeous to look at - excellent production values, incredible landscapes and costumes, and period pieces. Sophia Myles was lovely as Gwenda. I couldn't figure out the relationships between the members of the comedy troupe either. Also, another reviewer is correct, nobody just picked up the phone from India and dashed off a call to England like it was one street over and vice versa.

The story, such as it is, is a good one. It's just not an Agatha Christie story.

Sleep-Inducing Murder

[aramis-112-804880 · 7/10 · 8 July 2013]

A perfectly good version of "Sleeping Murder" was done during the Hickson/Marple days. Now they have a new, viewer-friendly Marple in Geraldine McEwan, and have her in a lot of cases that don't belong to her (i.e., "The Sittaford Mystery," "By the Pricking of My Thumbs," etc.) So when they come to "Sleeping Murder" -- a very real and very creepy Marple story that already has a perfectly fine version done in the 1980s -- what do they do? Why, they write what amounts to a whole a new story.

Spoiler: Now, they do get around to having basically the same premise and the same murderer. So if you've read the book or seen the Hickson version there are no surprises there.

The original storyline is slight for a full-scale movie unless, as in the Hickson days, they have slow, almost David Lynchian camera movements. So they set the story around a troupe of traveling performers (headed by Paul McGann) who don't appear in the book, which is one of Dame Agatha's creepier stories.

The plot in a trifle convoluted: involving, for instance, a man who, for all sorts of reasons, has to marry his own wife. And the ins and outs of all the performers are difficult to follow (it's definitely one you'll want to see again, just to see if you can work out the relationships). And they pasted in an extremely unlikely romance that was a mistake from the word go, but eliminated the need for Marple's nephew.

They did go for class. In a short play scene the actress is a blink-and-you'll miss her Harriet Walter!

It's not a bad retelling of Christie's story, but it's hard to follow. The confusion caused from watching this version may send you scurrying to the book. HOWEVER, if you see this version before reading the book, you must realize that, though the basic tale of "Gwenda" isn't so different (except that she comes from India as an adult and not from New Zealand, and she's only engaged and not married), all the rigmarole of the traveling performers will not be there. It works fine on film, but even if Agatha Christie had wanted her book done this way, it would take a P. G. Wodehouse to pull off the writing.

A word about Geraldine McEwan's performance . As as American, when I first saw the Hickson Marples I did not realize that in England Hickson was as well known for comic turns as for serious roles. Seeing her performances in that new light helped me understand a lot of what she was doing as an actress. Also, Hickson comes off as much more the Marple I see in Christie's books. Nosy, a bit crotchety, sphinx-like. Geraldine McEwan seems too cheerful and friendly; and she often has an "I know something you don't know" smirk. As I said, she's more viewer friendly, but a departure from Marple as I always envisioned the old bag.

Intriguing and engaging mystery

[grantss · 8/10 · 1 July 2016]

Gwenda Halliday moves to England from India and moves into a house in a seaside village. She will soon be married and needs to renovate the house first. However, she keeps getting the strange feeling that she's been in the house before even though, as far as she is aware, she has never been in England before. Then a view of a part of the house sparks an image of a murder in her mind, and she gets extremely agitated. Her assistant, Hugh Hornbeam, is worried about her and calls in a friend, Miss Marple. It turns out Ms Halliday has previously lived in England, in that same house.

Quite intriguing, especially as the mystery involves a potential murder committed nearly 20 years previously. "Potential" because we don't even know if there was a murder, adding to the intrigue.

Quite engaging too. We have some interesting relationship drama and the plight and backstory of Gwenda is quite engaging. Some colourful characters too and a touch of romance.

Great cast, with some big names: Paul McGann, Dawn French, Geraldine Chaplin and Martin Kemp (of Spandau Ballet fame). The standout for me is the gorgeous Sophia Myles, who plays Gwenda.

A mildly successful attempt at obscuring a predictable story

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 2 July 2011]

I haven't read the novel "Sleeping Murder" but I have seen the (generally regarded as faithful) 1980s Joan Hickson version and I remember spotting the murderer almost instantly (something which very rarely happens to me!): after the initial explanation of the "metaphysical" incidents of recognition that Gwenda experiences, this becomes probably one of the most predictable stories Agatha Christie ever wrote. This newer version tries, with moderate success, to complicate matters by introducing new characters and subplots, some of which (George's real father....) are pointless; at the same time, they undercut the effort by casting a rather creepy-looking actor as the killer. However, this film does contain two beautiful, genuine love stories - one in the present, one in the past - and Sarah Parish pulls off a striking transformation from an insecure, bespectacled girl to a confident, tough-talking diva. Both she and Anna Louise Plowman do some fine singing as well. **1/2 out of 4.

I like it, and i have read the book..

[bjobrei · 8/10 · 13 July 2008]

Here's a thought. In filmed adaption of crime novels, more often than not-the plot is changed. Often radically. Does it spoil the story ? If you expect the film to be like a book summary, yes. But an adaption is a film, a totally different medium, BASED on the book. Now does this justify the changes made to Dame Agathas novel ? Does it make the story more suitable for film ?That is for anyone to comment, but please. Do not slaughter the movie for not being accurate to every novel detail. In my humble opinion, the changes does make the story more interesting. I love Agatha Christies books, but I always found her Poirot-stories more suitable for film adaption. At least if one wants the adaption to be faithful to the novel. I agree with most commentators here, the Hickson Marple is far more accurate with the novels in mind. But the changed Marple like this one is more colorful, more vivid and hence more entertaining. The acting is excellent, the filming is stunning and the mystery is certainly adequate. There are little holes in the plot, but there is nothing new in that. All in all, well done- and a brave adaption to put some freshness into the sometimes-please forgive me all you faithful-slightly boring Marplestories.

Better than average modern adaptation of Dame Christie

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 20 February 2022]

Gwenda Halliday, a wealthy young Englishwoman recently emigrated from India, intuitively buys a seaside manor house, where she re-experiences a murder in a good Agatha Christie adaptation. Of course, it's adjusted for a modern audience, but it's quite engaging with the focus on the characters, they are fleshed out well, and the acting is fine all around. The denouement was well done, though I wasn't too surprised as I had already the splendid book.

Visually stunning, well-directed and a captivating performance by Sophia Myles

[merlin-2 · 8/10 · 6 February 2006]

I set my recorder so that I could speed through the commercials but from the beginning I was so gripped I watched it as it was transmitted and loved it. The period setting was perfectly captured by the director, Ed Hall, and the acting was of a very high standard, but the star of the show was not Miss Marple, but the truly brilliant Miss Myles. Stephen Churchett's script worked well and gave the cast plenty of good dialogue. I especially liked Una Stubbs and Sarah Parish and it was a pleasure to see Dawn French and Russ Abbot in straight roles. But, in the leading role, Sophia Myles had a magical quality that lifted the film to a much higher level.

Murder Makes the Funnybones Tickle...

[Coventry · 6/10 · 30 December 2020]

Straight from the first episode, it was made clear that the peculiarity-trademark of ITV's "Agatha Christie's Marple" series was going to be small but significant plot and denouement changes to the original novels. Throughout the whole first season, these changes didn't bother me one bit. "Sleeping Murder" kicks off season two, and I must say the changes in the script versus the original book are suddenly becoming very plentiful and big. It's still a respectable adaptation, no worries, but a bunch of supportive characters undergo a metamorphosis, or are simply being replaced, and the final twist - albeit admirably shocking - isn't half as plausible and impactful as in the book. I sincerely hope the writers didn't attempt to improve Agatha Christie's writings, because...well, that just isn't possible. The fundaments of the intriguing whodunit story are luckily still intact. It's an engaging mystery, with lovely English seaside locations and a good pacing. For the second time, though, the performance of the great Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple is only secondary to that of another strong woman. After the ravishing Amanda Holden in "4:50 from Paddington", it's the stunningly gorgeous Sophie Myles who steals the show here. What an angel.

The BBC did a fine job, check production credits before accusing please

[katkoot-kate · 8/10 · 27 December 2008]

First off, these were produced by Granada, not the BBC; therefore accusing them of making a mess is very unfair. Why can't people just accept that these stories have been adapted for a more modern audience; unfortunately the youth of today needs something a little 'dumbed-down'. Just enjoy them for the stories they are - there are some superb acting turns, and a bunch of new talent is being showcased - it's not as if this is factual and the truth is being changed to suit. Thank the lord they don't use American actors, and are taking the current cream of the British crop. Geraldine McEwan brings a rather sweeter disposition to Jane Marple than Hickson and Co., something I find easier to believe.

Spoiled by the ending

[Iain-215 · 6/10 · 5 April 2008]

Having enjoyed all 4 episodes of the first season of ITVs Marple, 'Sleeping Murder' was something of a disappointment. This was the first in an irritating trend to try and 'flesh out' the stories by packing in as many unnecessary and confusing subplots as possible. I didn't mind at all the relatively subtle changes to the stories in Season 1 but here there were one or two too many.

Taken on its own terms, I actually enjoyed most of it until about the last twenty minutes. Having introduced the Funnybones, the writers then had to give them all their own subplots hence the 'lets all gather in the drawing room while Miss Marple tells us all about it' ending. I was very irritated by the entirely pointless confusion over the true identity of Helen and the whole Indian subplot but then these adaptations seem to like starting with 'some incident in the past' and in this case, the Indian subplot was 'it'.

On the plus side (and the reason for 6 out of 10) it was generally well acted and, as always, looked gorgeous! Sophia Myles was something of a shining star as Gwenda - really lovely and impeccably acted. Phil Davies was an improvement on his BBC Hickson counterpart as Dr Kennedy in my opinion.

Overall, the Hickson version of the story is better but this one does have some merit - watch it for Myles if for no other reason.

Which Agatha Christie wrote this?

[benbrae76 · 1/10 · 28 August 2006]

The plot and the characters of her final Miss Marple novel have been so completely decimated in this TV movie, that I don't know how the producers have dared to put her name to it. It doesn't even come as close as "based on", or "as suggested by". It's a brand new story with only a slight resemblance to her novel.

Have the scriptwriters actually read the novel? It certainly doesn't appear so. Could it be that they heard a short resume related at second hand, thought it was a good idea, then made up their own plot from it as they went along? I'm surprised they retained the original culprit.

To anyone who hasn't read the book, and/or want to see a faithful filmed version of it, this is not the one to watch, and I suggest they try the earlier Joan Hickson instead.

The other efforts in this "Marple" series, starring Geraldine McEwan as the eponymous heroine, were bad enough, but this is the worst of them all. I really don't think any blame can be attached to the actors. They must have read the book in preparation for this film, and they all look as bewildered as every Agatha Christie fan must be. If her novels can't be treated with the respect they deserve, then the sooner this series is scrapped the better.

An interesting plan

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 9 May 2015]

For those of us are fans of Jane Marple her presence in Sleeping Murder is quite passive for most of the film. It's only at the end with the presence of all possible suspects that Geraldine McEwan becomes quite the center of attention as she destroys the perpetrator's alibi and exposes the person for three murders, two of them occurring over 20 years earlier.

Young Sophia Myles who believes she has lived in India all her life, brought up by an aunt. But when she returns to the old country and is in a grand estate she has the reawakening of a childhood memory of seeing a woman strangled.

That woman was her stepmother Anna-Louise Plowman who disappeared after being married to her father Julian Wadham who later plunged off a cliff after she disappeared. Plowman was only married to Wadham for a short time, she was part of a singing act which broke up years ago and the people gone their separate ways. The conflicts within the group provide some bountiful red herrings.

It turns out that Wadleigh and Plowman had an interesting scheme involving what happened in India and the perpetrator caught on. In fact the perpetrator had some designs on Plowman.

The evidence is in India and by long distance call Ms. Marple solves the case.

Truly brilliant

[brightsmith-54619 · 10/10 · 23 January 2016]

I don't often leave reviews, especially if I need to join something ...however the review on the top page was so damming an unfair I felt the need to respond

As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan I have watched her stories told in many forms.. .this is most definitely one of the very best, wonderful acting throughout ,Excellent portrayals of the many and varied characters,

great cinematography ,superb locations ,sumptous costumes

an outstanding Solo singing performance great Direction even the makeup,lighting And props are a treat. and THE PLOT full of delightful twists and turns.to the very end..what more could one ask! Enjoy

Good story; not Agatha's!

[gill_eh · 6/10 · 7 February 2023]

SPOILERS I don't object to some changes and simplifications to make a novel work for television, but this is an entirely new story only tangentially related to the original. It is much more complex, with many new characters and plot twists. For example, I really don't understand why the husband in the novel was reduced to a fiancé, with his function in the story taken over by an entirely new character who ends up snagging the heroine. That said, the new story was quite was entertaining to watch. The actors were uniformly appealing and Geraldine McEwan is one of my favourite Miss Marples, second only to Joan Hickson.

One of the best Agatha Christie Marple and just a wonderful movie!

[znatokdetectiva · 10/10 · 23 September 2020]

I love Joan Hickson and the series with her participation, because it is not for nothing that she was approved by Agatha Christie herself, but Geraldine McEwan and films with her, in my opinion, are no worse. Of course, McEwan is a somewhat specific Marple, but that doesn't make her any worse, and the films with her participation, in the vast majority, are brilliant. Personally, I prefer "By the Pricking of My Thumbs", "Towards Zero", "4.50 from Paddington" and this episode. This is a great episode, although it is as an adaptation of the novel "Sleeping murder" that I prefer the version with Joan Hickson, since it corresponds to the novel in plot, eeriness and this dark atmosphere, akin to a horror movie. However, as a movie, I may love this version more. There is a lot of dynamics, good color, a pleasant atmosphere, an extremely intriguing and twisted plot, a brilliant final exposure (applause for Geraldine McEwan and especially Phil Davis) and a touching romantic line. Dr. James Kennedy here is completely different from the novel or the Hickson version, but no worse. To say that this Kennedy is bad is almost like comparing Sheppard played by Ford Davis and Sheppard played by Makovetsky - both are good, but both are completely different characters who have only names in common. I don't see what's wrong with a la Poirot's explanation, since it fits Marple-McEwan perfectly. The cast is very good, Sophia Myles and Aidan McArdle look great together. But all the accolades go to Phil Davis, a great actor in a great role. In conclusion, a wonderful episode and a good movie. 10/10

Wow, this mystery was a home run!

[Kingslaay · 9/10 · 22 June 2017]

This was a very engaging and well made mystery drama. The story and mystery was top notch. The cast was fantastic and even the supporting cast held their own.

With India and England as settings for this first class deception a young woman seeks to find answers into the deaths she somehow remembers witnessing as a child. Even from the start this captures one's attention with such a curious tale. The story as it developed was full of intrigue and lively characters and the protagonist was a treat to watch as she discovered secrets about her own past. Similar to some of the well written and dramatized Agatha Christie stories this one has a big twist and revelation that will both astonish and surprise.

9/10

Joan Hickson's version

[SkiesAreBlue · 8/10 · 21 September 2016]

Currently we are enjoying a spate of Joan Hickson's Miss Marple series on our free to air channel. I have watched the other adaptations of Agatha Christie's novel with Geraldine McEwan and while they were fine performances (story lines got a bit muddled) the JH ones are bringing back the original plots and stories. Only one thing is grating me is that the character of Gwenda supposedly from New Zealand is speaking with the most dreadful "Stryne" (Australian) accent. Good grief, the producers only had to go down to Earls Court and pick out a few Kiwis to hear the difference. Also, I get the picture that Gwenda was from a more refined family ( upper middle class) in which her accent would have been more cultured with a hint of "fush & chips" in it. Other than that I'm very much enjoying JH version.

a jumbled mess that bears very faint relation to the original

[jonescw2 · 3/10 · 6 February 2006]

I was looking forward to the new adaptation of Sleeping Murder for a long time - and rarely have I been so sorely disappointed and affronted by a television programme! It's the utterly inexplicable changes to the book that made this adaptation not only hard to follow but also exasperating for any fans of Agatha Christie. I simply fail to see the point in changing the nationalities of characters, their relation to each other, and even the means of Miss Marple's involvement - which is tenuous and peripheral throughout.

While the more recent adaptations of Poirot seem to be taking on the darker tone of the original books, this version of Marple appears to have an insatiable urge to 'jolly-hockey-stick' up the story to the point where it's an embarrassing parody of the original and a grave injustice to the author's legacy. Given the success of the 1980s adaptation of Sleeping Murder starring the excellent Joan Hickson, it's not surprising that the programme-makers might want to change elements of the story in order to justify the remake - but this just felt like it was cashing in on the names of Agatha Christie and Marple, with no respect for and little understanding of what made the book and the earlier TV programmes so memorable.

One of my favorite Miss Marples!

[grandmabrat · 10/10 · 4 May 2023]

While it is supposed to be added later, I love the interaction between the woman and the helper her fiance has assigned to help her. It shows kindness and support in a lovely way. The rest of the story is good and has lovely clues and tales along the way. Enjoy it more than once, I have. About 3 or 4 times so far. One of the best Miss Marple's in my opinion and the culprit was a surprise a couple of times. But it does seem very plausible and understandable, which is not frequent in my experience. I did not see it coming and neither will you probably. Enjoy this Miss Marple with Geraldine Mcewan, who is my favorite Miss Marple of them all.

Appropriately Named: Sleeping (while asleep) Murder (on screen)

[tml_pohlak_13 · 1/10 · 10 November 2007]

All right. Let's get one thing straight. This movie was NOTHING like the book. Here are a few points (I won't bother listing them all like I did for my review in "THE SITTAFORD MYSTERY") - Gwenda has a romance with someone else. She does not marry Giles. - Giles never even appears on screen! - A whole band of characters were changed COMPLETELY to include a traveling theater group called "The Funnybones" - Characters not included in the original novel are in this dreadful adaptation.

Up until that point, I would've forgiven them, had they included the novel's original ending. But no! If they are going to butcher up an Agatha Christie novel, they are going to butcher the whole thing! They ditched the whole scary ending and made a "one-of-the-people-in-this-room-is-a-killer" climax. Not only that, they reveal the murderer before the climax! As soon as the killer walks through the door, Miss Marple calls the police.

A dreadful adaptation! Now, onwards to Series 3! And hopefully it will be good!

Writers take a lot of liberties

[cpongracic · 1/10 · 14 October 2018]

The only similarities between the book and this episode is the name and some of the characters. Otherwise, they may as well be two completely different stories. As a huge fan of Agatha Christie, I am deeply disappointed.

Confusing version

[pawebster · 4/10 · 16 February 2006]

This series continues working hard to be the 'weird' version of Miss Marple. The producers and writers do everything they can to be perversely (and I choose the word advisedly) different from previous versions. Admittedly the earlier Joan Hickson version of this story was not that great and the heroine had a very insipid husband. He's been abolished here, along with her New Zealand upbringing. Instead, a new character, Mr Hornbeam, has been brought in, who is a definite asset and well acted.

The plot has really been through the wringer and has been made confusing and hard to follow. Somebody seems to have thought they could out-Christie Christie. But Christie is always clear. Here the exact relationships in the Funnybones troupe are not easy to grasp and the cascade of complex plot information in the long 'all the cast in the library' scene at the end is very hard to understand and digest.

Also, there are lots of seemingly casual phone calls to India. This was far from easy in those days, when overseas calls had to be prebooked and waited for and the line quality was often poor. When a lot of care has been taken over period accuracy it is a shame to see this anachronism.

And why is Julian Wadham (the heroine's father) in the shadows playing her fiancé -- at least I think it's him? This is very misleading. Couldn't they afford another actor?

It's quite fun to watch, but I still wonder what the producers are thinking of.

Dire

[dis-6 · 1/10 · 6 February 2006]

I do not know what WGBH and the estate of Agatha Christie were doing when they put their names to this rubbish.

Somehow the makers have contrived to take the bare bones of the Miss Marple story and overlay that with a jewel robbery, an Indian traffic accident and a love story. Add into the pot the seaside entertainment troupe The Funnybones and stir and you end up with a real stinker.

The only good points about this show were the central performances of Sophia Myles and Aidan McArdle and the flashback sequences with Anna-Louise Plowman.

If you want to see a decent version of Sleeping Murder then catch the Joan Hickson version ( on rerun or on DVD )