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      The Mirror Crack'd

      PG Released Dec 19, 1980 1h 45m Mystery & Thriller List
      62% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 47% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings Agatha Christie's sleuth Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury) and her Scotland Yard nephew (Edward Fox) find poison on a 1950s movie set. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

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      Critics Reviews

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      Michael Blowen Boston Globe There simply aren't any other films around this Christmas that deliver as much solid entertainment as "The Mirror Crack'd. Apr 28, 2018 Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post The Christie plot ends up so drastically foreshortened that you'd swear a reel must have been misplaced, although the sluggish direction of Guy Hamilton doesn't make one anxious to see it restored. Nov 2, 2015 Full Review Richard Schickel TIME Magazine The good lines make Mirror more fun to watch than it has any right to be. Mar 23, 2011 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …all-star snoozer…like being locked in a waxwork museum… Rated: 2/5 Jan 29, 2024 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Lansbury sets the stage for her success as Jessica Fletcher on TV's long-running Murder, She Wrote. Rated: 3/4 Sep 6, 2020 Full Review Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) The scriptwriters wanted to replace the weakness of the original story with some sense of humor... But that sense of humor is scant -- just like everything else in the movie. [Full Review in Spanish] Aug 19, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Jeff M If memory serves, I believe this is the first cinematic Agatha Christie adaptation that I have not been able to recommend. With Lansbury as Marple, the whole enterprise inevitably feels a bit like a MURDER, SHE WROTE audition. The trouble is that Marple is basically a supporting character here, relying on her nephew to do the back work while she is at home nursing a sprained leg. This easily could have been re-written with Marple completely eliminated. The whole thing feels a little automatic pilot - there's not a lot of life to the film. And there's no sense of fun and joy. I hate to repeat myself, but it indeed feels like an exceptionally cast episode of MURDER, SHE WROTE. And what a cast it is! The most fun, by far, is watching Taylor and Kim Novak as two vain actresses who despise one another - their barbs back and forth are the film's saving grace, although Novak's performance feels a bit cartoonish at times. It's a bittersweet joy to watch Taylor and Hudson together nearly 25 years after GIANT and a mere 5 years before Hudson's tragic death. Also, keen viewers may notice an extremely brief, maybe 15 second wordless appearance by a very young Pierce Brosnan. It's a shame that such an amazing cast, which also includes Tony Curtis and Geraldine Chaplin, are treated as though they're guest stars on THE LOVE BOAT. It's worth a peek for the sheer caliber of the thespians involved, but other than that, it's not a memorable experience. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Blu B It's actually not that bad. The cineamtography is decent and has some pretty memorable set pieces and the pacing isn't bad either but this can drag at certain parts. so is the acting which is mainly powered by Lansbury who is the best thing in this giving a solid perfromance. Problem is everyone else isn't that likeable and is stuck up, arrogant, or filled with too much over the top ego without being memorable. Especially taylor at times though she has a good moment here and there. Everything else is just ok. The main issue is Edward fox is very dry and dull and becomes the main focus of the story 30 minutes in out of nowhere when it should've been Lansbury. And it feels like as he investigates things just happen as we get the backstory of all the unlikeable side characters. It's a shame because it starts out strong but just loses all momentum in the 20 minutes after focusing on the party and all the uninteresting people without Lansbury. The mystery does have a pretty decent twist (mainly because the middle is shotty with editing and storytelling) but it does make sense and is a suprise somewhat. Anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, the director, or Whodunit's should check this out. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/24 Full Review Robert C The directing made the 'clues' far too obvious. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/12/23 Full Review Live Life L Just ok. Love Angela Lansbury but was not impressed with anyone else. A bit boring. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/29/23 Full Review Matthew D Fiercely funny and cleverly charming mystery from Agatha Christie. English director Guy Hamilton's mystery comedy The Mirror Crack'd (1980) is a riot with outrageous humor and a marvelous ensemble. Hamilton delights in mocking Hollywood filmmakers with his playful direction. The Mirror Crack'd is hilarious and witty. Writer Agatha Christie is deft in her clever send-up of filmmaking, actresses, directors, producers, and fans. I was shocked to learn that Christie got the premise for this tragic story from film actress Gene Tierney's real life tragedy about her child. Each clue is more curious than the last and the final reveal did shock me. Editor Richard Marden has swift cuts and sharp transitions that let the story flow smoothly with a cozy pace. 105 minutes feels like a breeze. Cinematographer Christopher Challis shoots gentle panning shots and careful framing, so the audience is always aware of each new clue. His numerous perspectives help keep the mystery clear enough to let us keep guessing. The Mirror Crack'd is severely underrated. Angela Lansbury is great as the nosy and intelligent Miss Jane Marple. Her pleasant rapport with the real lead Edward Fox's impossibly British Inspector Dermot Craddock is delightful. Fox uses his posh manner to cleverly dissect his interviewees to unravel clue after clue. Fox gets motives with ease and is very funny and astute here. Elizabeth Taylor is excellent as the fading actress Marina Gregg with her devastating past and history of mental breakdowns. Her searing lines of hatred at Kim Novak's catty rival actress Lola Brewster are a riot. Novak is a scream herself, with the meanest insults you've ever heard. Rock Hudson is formidable as the dashing director and husband to Taylor named Jason Rudd. Tony Curtis is hysterical as the fast talking producer Marty N. Fenn with bad mouthing for all to hear. Geraldine Chaplin is so gorgeous here Taylor's secretary Ella Zielinsky. I found her even more beautiful and charming than Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak in The Mirror Crack'd. She has a posh elegance and pleasant charm as the secretary with biting remarks about her employer. She easily steals the movie for me with her intriguing actions and careful language. Charles Gray cameos as the steadfast butler Bates. Richard Pearson's Doctor Haydock is very blunt. Wendy Morgan is adorable and bubbly as the chatty maid Cherry. Maureen Bennett is fabulous as the seemingly innocent fan girl Heather Babcock. Charles Lloyd-Pack's talkative Vicar is super funny. Pierce Brosnan cameos as the actor Jamie opposite Taylor in her scene as Mary Queen of Scots, unbelievably early in his career. Production designer Michael Stringer makes a fancy English manor and messy film set for the filmmaking sequences. Set decorator Peter Howitt finds lavish furniture as well as quaint English furnishings for Miss Marple's abode. Composer John Cameron has powerful music that can be quirky and pleasant to startling and melancholic. Costume designer Phyllis Dalton gives Geraldine Chaplin slick suits, Elizabeth Taylor expensive gowns, and Kim Novak stylish dresses. In short, The Mirror Crack'd is as entertaining as Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, or Evil Under the Sun. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/14/23 Full Review d t Camp, dated direction and over the top acting from Hollywood golden stars who are clearly past their peak. Angela Lansbury is better as Jessica Fletcher than Miss Marple who doesn't feature much in film. It's ok for easy relaxed watching that requires no thinking. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/22 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Agatha Christie's sleuth Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury) and her Scotland Yard nephew (Edward Fox) find poison on a 1950s movie set.
      Director
      Guy Hamilton
      Producer
      John Brabourne, Richard Goodwin
      Distributor
      Associated Film Distribution
      Production Co
      G.W. Films Limited
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 19, 1980, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 27, 2009
      Runtime
      1h 45m
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