The ABC Murders
It was interesting to see a non-David Suchet attempt at a Poirot story,
given how utterly smitten and enchanted I am with Suchet's portrayal.
With respect to John Malkovich — I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped
I would. I thought Eamon Farren's role was suitably creepy (even if the
character was a bit too obvious for such an early reveal) and Grint's
foil worked as a nice spiritual successor to Japp.
The production value of the whole thing was high, and the direction felt
like a good mix of the classic and modern. But so much of the plot and
reveals (Poirot was a bishop who witnessed his town's slaughter!) smacked
of the grimdark insouciance that worked as an exclamation point to the plot
rather than an affirmation of the character and messaging.
I am probably being harsher than I would be if I had not spent a hundred hours
watching Suchet's treatment of the character and the world in which he lives. But
that person — those mysteries — say something specific about the world and about
what virtue and justice look like. It was good television; it was not as good
as the original.