Marple - Nemesis - 2007

Not too bad, I liked many things, it's just that the story, put this way, is kind of absurd. The beginning I mean, not the final solution. It starts with Jason Rafiel's obituary, and what he left Miss Marple (Geraldine McEwan): 500 pounds, on the condition that she accepts to go on a mystery coach-trip to investigate a "possible crime". I liked the man telling her "you're not terrifying after all"-Marple:"should I be?"-"Mr Rafiel called you Nemesis" :-)
So, she accepts and since she can choose a companion, of course she goes to Raymond West (Richard E. Grant)who is quite happy to help his dear aunt Jane. :-)
Now, the absurd thing is that ALL those involved in the story are invited to the tour, all of them, so how did Rafiel now who to invite? How could he know who was or wasn't involved? A few of them are obvious choices, but for example why did Rafiel think that survivor-captain was involved? Because he himself, for some reason, not at all clear since he was supposed to have lost his memory, and by the way he was in a coma when Verity nursed him, advertised for informations on Verity? I mean, how could he remember her name? He remembers nothing about his past life, and while Verity was there he was in a coma, it was someone else that was with him when he was recovering. What's more, how could Rafiel know that nobody else was involved? There were only two nuns in that convent?Nobody else? He says "the pieces of the puzzle he assembled himself" : how? How could he know that nobody else in that convent (other nuns or patients) or in the vicinity of it for that matter, was even remotely involved?
Anyway, moving on. Marple accepts. The girl who drives the bus was also hired by Rafiel because at some point she has them listen to a recorded message from him. The purpose is to found out what happened of Verity Hunt 10 or 11 years ago, when she disappeared. The other guests are: Michael Faber (Dan Stevens: wasn't he called Michael in Downton Abbey too?) who will turn out to be Rafiel's son. Verity nursed him, they fell in love and wanted to escape together, but she didn't show up and he was found and put in a war-prison-camp because he was German (it was 1940). He asked his father to look for her but he refused and Michael has never forgiven him that.
Sydney Lumley (Johnny Briggs) who was her landlord before she went away after he asked her to marry him. Margaret Lumley, Sydney's wife, who looks a lot like Verity (Laura-Michelle Kelly, same actress for both characters). She once pretended to be Verity to get money. Laurence Raeburn (George Cole) who was Lord Forrester's butler and very fond of Verity who worked there too, and he gave her a necklace that she swore to wear until her dying day.
Amanda (Ronni Ancona), Lord Forrester is her uncle and she will inherit everything. She sent Verity away because she knew that Verity was Lord Forrester's love-child. Derek (Adrian Rawlins) is her solicitor and generally does everything for her. It was he that Amanda sent to pay off the girl who said to be Verity but was really Margaret: he recognizes her now and tries to blackmail her "come to my room" but she takes her husband and Sydney hits him on the nose. Well done.
Martin Waddy (Will Mellor) is the war survivor that advertised for informations on Verity, and Rowena (Emily Woof) is his wife. Sister Agnes (Anne Reid) is the Mother Superior, and with Sister Clotilde (Amanda Burton) is the last "guest". The two nuns took Verity in when she went to the convent.
The tour: first stop is Lord Forrester's house, where we see a picture of Verity. I didn't like the scene when Raeburn stops to sit down and Marple stops too, to talk to him, and Raymond simply goes on, not even looking at her, never lowering his eyes; that somehow doesn't seem right. He should have acknowledged the matter in some way, a brief exchange of smiles maybe, or a touch of her arm, anything. Anyway, moving on.
Thirty minutes in, and we discover Michael's real identity, when they stop for the night and Marple talks to him. She speaks of Rafiel's son as having "frighteningly intelligent eyes" and after that Michael admits it's him :-p
Mr Raeburn falls down the stairs, and when they all assemble to see what's happened he looks up and says "Verity". Rafiel told Marple "find where Truth lies", truth=Verity. In the morning Raeburn is found dead. Raymond's fan and wanna-be writer Colin is Detective Constable Hards (Lee Ingleby) who listens to Marple's advice (after Ray promised to read his story) and finds out Raeburn was poisoned.
:-p When he fell Marple was reading "not quite dead enough" :lol:  I like that she always read mystery novels :-p
At lunch Marple asks about Verity and the connection between all them and Verity (all but Michael and Martin) comes out.
Then Marple keeps asking questions and investigating for the rest of the tour. The old nun knows about Michael being Rafiel and not Faber, and she believes he killed Verity because she thinks that Verity went to him to tell him she could not go away with him because she was now a novice.
During a day out, Rowena is killed, and it is discovered only later when Martin can't find her and asks around "has anyone seen Rowena?". Poor woman. Martin feels bad and guilty because he doesn't "feel it" as much as he should, and he wonders if he ever loved her at all. His memories are so messed up.
The last stop is the St. Elspeth convent, where the truth comes out. At first Michael is arrested, but he frees himself, they all talk then go to bed and Clotilde brings a cup of cocoa to Marple. If that's not clear enough for everybody, next comes the final solution.
Verity had chosen Michael, she wanted to leave the convent to go away with him because she loved him, so Clotilde killed her and then she "prayed every day for a week", my gosh what a face! Finally she thought of a solution to her problem. She had to hide her, but first she told on Michael and had him captured, then she took a comatose patient she believed would have died soon, and put him in Michael's room, than she wrapped Verity in bandages so nobody could find her. The patient didn't die, but Clotilde said that he did and buried Verity instead; he recovered, but she could not say it to anyone. She read on a newspaper that Rowena Waddy was never going to believe that her husband had died, so Clotilde took him to her, telling them both he was her husband Martin. Rowena wanted so badly to believe, that she believed it.
Rowena had recognized her, that's why she was killed. Raeburn had seen her wearing Verity's necklace, and that did it for him. She tried to kill Marple too, but she knew and didn't drink the cocoa with the poison. It was all quite theatrical. Marple saying "I am Nemesis", and having Margaret wear a novice costume to look exactly like Verity. Pity for that "I found a clue, a piece of straw" ... :-/ I didn't like that line. Come on. I found a clue?? A piece of straw?? Come on.
Last scene is quite nice though: Martin and Michael both looking at Flying Officer Ralph Collins' grave, for different reasons I'd imagine. Michael because Verity was buried down there, and Martin because now he knows he's not Martin at all, he is actually Ralph Collins. After he's left alone, a woman comes to put flowers on the grave. Ralph's "widow", and they look at each other, and I imagine they'll have a lot of things to talk about, a chance for a new life. She never forgot him, and now he's come back to her :-)
So, I liked Michael, I liked Amanda and Raymond. Not bad, no.

P.s. I like Margaret's black dress, quite pretty.