A TALENT FOR MURDER
UK, 1984, 80 minutes, Colour.
Angela Lansbury, Laurence Olivier, Hildegard Neil.
Directed by Alvin Rakoff.
A Talent for Murder is a BBC telemovie based on a Broadway play. It has a single room, set in large drawing room where Anne, an author of murder mysteries confined to a wheelchair, holds state and has an extraordinary computerised security set-up (where she tests some of her theories for incidents in the novels). She is the target of an attempt at murder by greedy relations. The film is a tour de force for Angela Lansbury (before Murder She Wrote) as an over the top authoress. Lansbury gives it her full strength (drawing on many of the mothers she played, most especially the extraordinary mother of Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate). She is well matched with Laurence Olivier as her personal friend and doctor. He gives a more self-effacing performance than that of Angela Lansbury - but compliments her with his British verbal precision and wit. The supporting cast is led by Hildergarde Neil. It is highly contrived - but relies on the whim of the dialogue, the set-up of the murders - the clues and, of course, the resolution.
1. Entertaining murder mystery - the American style compared with that of Agatha Christi?
2. The mansion, the room and the single set? Room to move, Anne in her wheelchair? The-security set-up? The art work in the room? An appropriate set for this kind of murder mystery and solution?
3. The title, its reference to Anne, to Doc?
4. Angdla Lansbury as Anne: screen presence, larger than life, extraverted woman, a woman of whims? Her wit, demanding attention from everyone? Her novels and success, quoting their sales? Knowledge of her plots, testing out devises? Her memories of Bill and devotion to her dead husband? Looking after Pamela after the accident and her concern for her? Her long friendship with Doc an easy to, and fork with him? Thinking her son weak, despising her daughter-in-law? Despising Mark? Her work with Rashi, his Indian background, prison, his working with her - and the initial seeming death? As the night wore on, her picking on people, her drinking and smoking, witty remarks, memories of Matise and Picasso? How much to be believed? The confrontation with Sheila, the cassette, the setting of the trap? The aftermath, tricking the murderer at the television set? Her exposing Mark? Her story to Doc and getting him to admit the truth? The happy ending?
5. Doc, Laurence Olivier style, verbal delivery? Friendship, the many years with Anne, coming from Paris? Jealousy of the family? His interactions with all the family, his pampering Anne? The threats by Sheila? His suggestions for Anne and giving away her art, moving house etc? The theatre, the death, the climax with the exposure of Mark? Anne and her explanation of how Doc killed Sheila? their friendship continuing?
6. Sheila and Laurence, Laurence and his debts, relationship with his mother? Sheila and her greed, collaboration with Mark? Wanting to put Anne away? Anne's gifts, pinning the microphones, making the tapes? The confrontation with Sheila? Her death? Confrontation with Laurance, his criticisms of his mother, her affirmation of some character in him?
7. Mark and Pamela, the accident, Mark and his double dealing with Sheila, abandoning Pamela? The plot, taped? His attempt to murder Anne?
8. Rashi, his prison background, collaborating with Anne, the computer set-up? His Indian proverbs? Helping out Anne the confrontation with the characters, in the wheelchair? Devoted servant?
9. An American drawingroom murder mystery in the Agatha Christie tradition?
