Poirot: Cards on the Table (2005)

SYNOPSIS
An enjoyable evening of bridge turns into a murder investigation. Can the four invited investigators – Hercule Poirot, Superintendent Battle, Colonel Race and Ariadne Oliver – discover which of the other four guests is the killer? All four had the opportunity – and all four have something to hide. After all, their host seemed certain that each of them had already got away with murder.

Cards on the Table is scheduled to air in the US on A&E Sunday, December 11 @ 1PM Eastern. It is currently scheduled to appear in “early 2006” on ITV in the UK. Stay tuned for specific airdates.

SID’S TAKE
Shortly after securing the role of Mr. Shaitana, Sid shared a little bit about the project:

“It’s part of a series of films in fact called “Poirot” with David Suchet, who stars as an  unflappable detective confounding the criminal masterminds of the 1930s. Should be a lot of fun. The script is certainly very good period drama. Mine is a real break from my normal roles and I look forward to the performance.”

DISCUSSION
Discuss the project @ the Forums.

CAST
(in alphabetical order; click on name to visit website)

James Fox (The Lost World, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Fox plays Colonel Johnny Race, a member of the MI-5 espionage branch.
Tristan Gemmill (London’s Burning, The Jacket)
Gemmill is a guest at Mr. Shaitana’s house with the murder is committed.
Alex Jennings (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, The Four Feathers)
Jennings plays a guest at Mr. Shaitana’s house.
Lesley Manville (All or Nothing, Vera Drake)
Manville is a guest at Mr. Shaitana’s house when the murder is committed.
Lindsay Marshall
Newcomer Marshall plays a guest at Mr. Shaitana’s house.
Robert Pugh (Master and Commander, Kinky Boots)
Pugh is Colonel Hughes, a sleuth who assists in solving the murder mystery.
Alexander Siddig (Kingdom of Heaven, Syriana)
Sid plays Mr. Shaitana, a mysterious man who invites four detectives to a “bridge party” that turns deadly.
David Suchet (Poirot mysteries, A Perfect Murder)
Suchet is Hercule Poirot, London detective.
Zoe Wanamaker (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, My Family)
Wanamaker is Ariadne Oliver, a detective and crime writer who joins forces with Poirot and the other sleuths to solve a murder.
David Westhead (Wallis & Edward, Stage Beauty)
Westhead plays Superintendent Wheeler of Scotland Yard.

NOTES AND REVIEWS
Considered one of the best of Christie’s closed-door murders. This novel also marks the first appearance of Mrs. Ariadne Oliver in a novel. Poirot revealed the plot for this novel in Chapter 3 of ‘The ABC Murders’, when he describes his idea of the ideal crime for Hastings; “A crime with no complications. A crime of quiet domestic life.” (from AgathaChristie.com)

LINKS
Poirot – a site for the book and television series

AgathaChristie.com – the official site for author Agatha Christie