Watch The Mysterious Affair at Styles For Free

Excellent, smart action film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a very good example of early Poirot, it's a very good story, but it's the character play and development that's key to the success here. I often think it would have been nice if they'd have run this as a pilot, to set the characters up, and explain Poirot's back story, but it fits in really well nonetheless.It's a wonderfully cosy British murder mystery, you can almost hear the clink of ice in jugs of iced tea. It doesn't have the excitement of many late episodes, but it's still a very enjoyable episode. I really enjoy Michael Cronin's Alfred Inglethorpe and Joanna McCallum's Evie Howard, but the acting in general is excellent. The production values are superb.I know the solution does seem a little far fetched, but it's still cleverly devised, you just need to stretch your imagination a little.

Although IMDb lists this feature length outing as the first episode of the third season, it is actually a stand-alone episode which was made to mark 100 years since the birth of Christie. I know this because early doors I did have to do some Googling to understand the context because the film is the very first book where Poirot makes an appearance and as it fit into the flow of the season. The plot sees Hastings having only previously met Poirot once but by chance reunited with him as the little Belgian and others have temporarily been granted entry into the UK to escape the war. Whenever the residence where Hastings is staying experiences a death, he suggests they involve Poirot to help with the investigation.The change in time appears to have had other impacts too because this special is not quite as good as the previous two seasons had been. The change in dynamic and relationship is an impact but it is not particularly negative in the grand scheme of things but it does jar a little when watching in the context of the previous episodes; Hastings is a darker character in the wake of the war and Poirot's relationship with him is perhaps too superficial (as one would expect) so the humor between them is not as evident. The plot is engaging but not all of it makes sense and as part of filling out two hours, there is a lot more in the way of red herrings than normal which by definition means that the mystery becomes less accessible and less straightforward. These factors are small things though because, although clearly different from the episodes before, the film still works very well and delivers in the ways it normally does – even if that is not quite as well as we are used to.The cast remain very good although understandably there is some restrictions on their characters as we "get the gang together" as it were. Suchet is as good as ever even in a younger appearance; I liked that he retained the character but made it work a few steps earlier in the line – for example his fussy, irritable streak is more gently shown with an attention to detail. Fraser has less of a comedic role, which is a shame as he is very good at that, but he does make for more of a rounded character. Jackson is solid in support as usual but is less used. The supporting cast are generally pretty good although in a way I went for them less because to me they were part of the "fuller" film feel and thus worked a little against the fresher, more accessible plots than I had enjoyed of late.The Mysterious Affair at Styles is still a very enjoyable film that is a nice addition to the episodes even if it clunks a little bit against the flow. The essence is still there even if it must be said the longer running time and the change in the dynamics does rather reduce the fresh humor of the episodes and how accessible they were.

The story opens with Captain Hastings recovering from a WWI injury in a beautiful mansion converted to a convalescent home for soldiers. A newsreel is being shown, one item of which is "Belgium refugees welcomed to our shores." This, the first Christie novel, provides us with the background on why Poirot came to Britain and how he and Hastings met and became fast friends. An old friend of Hastings visits him and invites him to his home, Styles Court. He tells Hastings that his family is very concerned that his mother, Emily, has married a much younger man, Alfred Inglethorp. The family is convinced that Inglethorp is after Emily's money. Soon after arriving at the village of Styles St. Mary, Emily Inglethorp is brutally murdered by strychnine. Also in the village are Belgian refugees, including Poirot. Hastings had met Poirot in Belgium and they quickly re-establish their friendship. Hastings asks Poirot to investigate the murder. The aloof and generally unlikable Alfred Inglethorp immediately is a suspect and gives an incredibly poor showing at the coroner's hearing. But come to find out, Inglethorp has an iron clad alibi for the time in which the strychnine was purchased. And so the investigation continues. This film is visually stunning with its depiction of the the era - the costumes, the shops, the vehicles, the country lanes, the magnificent Styles Court - all beautifully captured. Although somewhat flawed, the mystery and how Poirot unravels it is a darn good yarn. And the Poirot character, with all his eccentricities (the scene where he tries to get the shopkeeper to rearrange her goods into a more logical way is a hoot) is both memorable and engaging. From this story, it is easy to see why Christie became such a popular and enduring mystery writer. This entry in the Poirot series is a real winner.

Most of these dramatizations are inadequate and any written by Exton wash the wonder of Christie out of the thing. So the production then has to depend on luxurious sets and supposedly interesting characters.That's not enough for me. But I do have to report that the director here has done some clever things. The lighting is atypically superb for TeeVee. There are some very nicely conceived shots that indicate Poirot's vision.But the most interesting thing is how this director has created Poirot. He's at least slightly different in every episode, and very different in this one. The excuse, probably is that it is the earliest story.Here he is human before being officious. He is tentative, not annoying. He is certain, not vain.Its not played for comedy as usual. He's an earnest inquiring eye (and hand).Most of these are trash. But at least this one is colored well.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.