Mystery: Malice Aforethought (2005)

Falling in love with this doctor could be bad for your health...

Between an endless round of garden parties and village gossip, the only way long-suffering Dr. Edmund Bickleigh can bear the torment of his formidable wife Julia's ferocious tongue is to find solace in the arms of sweet and besotted Ivy Ridgeway. But when he falls for the charms of Madeleine Cranmere, the exotic new resident of Wyvern's Cross, both Ivy's and Julia's fates are sealed as Madeleine won’t marry a divorced man. With no other recourse, Dr. Bickleigh decides that one will be dismissed, the other murdered.

Arrogant with the success of a seemingly undetectable murder, Dr. Bickleigh rushes to be united with Madeleine only to find that he has been supplanted by a wealthier suitor. Gossip about his wife's death is rife and it seems to Dr Bickleigh that there is only one way to make the gossip stop. And that is to dispose of the gossipers…

Ben Miller (Johnny English), Barbara Flynn (The Forsyte Saga) and Megan Dodds (Love in a Cold Climate) lead an ensemble cast in this classic tale of infatuation, revenge, and the scandalous business of murder.

Special DVD features include: link to the Masterpiece Theatre Web site; scene selections; and closed captions.

On one DVD9 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo.

Almost too subtle and soft!

Given the very deft hand behind the lens, this was almost too subtle and soft to leave a deep impression. It is an interesting story, but never totally leaps out and grabs you by the throat, leaving you to only minorly care what happens in the end. The production quality is overall well done, and the acting is near flawless, but not fully engaging. August 24, 2007

LOVELY FUN!!!!

I saw this on PBS years ago and I loved it. When I discovered it on Amazon I was so delighted. It did not disappoint and I discovered some new thhings about it, like the fact that the delightful Richard Armitage from North and South has a small role in this mystery. Anyway, all in all I would recommend this movie to everyone.
July 24, 2007

DELICIOUS STUFF, INDEED...

Sink yourself into a comfortable chair and revel in this near perfect depiction of the perfect crime. Wonderful music. Terrific direction and camerawork - and unnervingly solid acting all around. Just be careful that you pour your own drinks, and prepare your own snacks... February 25, 2006

A SAVORY MURDER/MYSTERY BROTH

As I have previously indicated on this Board, I am a huge fan of British Murder/Mysteries. "Malice Aforethought" is certainly a "jolly good Murder/Mystery!" It has everything in its list of "ingredients" that I feel a good Murder/Mystery should include in order to make for a good and savory (what I call) "Murder/Mystery broth". "Malice Aforethought" certainly has the right "ingredients" to make it a most enjoyable 180 minutes of viewing. The "ingredients" comprising the ("Malice Aforethough) "Murder/Mystery broth" are as follows:

(1) Good suspense with the murderer appearing to have gotten away with murder, but as they always say: "murder will out". In this case, it's Typhoid Fever will out.

(2) Interesting characters consisting of an outwardly meek, masochistic letch of a philandering, obsessed with sanitation husband/doctor; a shrew of a wife that by her own personality and ways would certainly drive even a saint to want to murder her; a blond artistic vamp (with certain demands) for the "put upon" husband to lust after making the murder of the wife even more desirable: a "must get rid of (long standing) girlfriend" that becomes dispensable in order to get to what and/or to whom is really wanted. This girlfriend is very willing to (lie) in order to prove that she really loves her man; plus some innocent looking but irritating, see-all, know-all, town gossips that keep the "low cast" doctor and his philandering in their sights with the kindest word for the doctor/husband being "he's a beastly man". In addition there is a see all sickly gardener that too must be disposed of before he tells all of what he has seen.

(3) Great script that is written very well with nary a dull moment keeping this viewer on the edge of his seat.

(4) Wonderful recreation and depiction of a fascinating decade and/or era (the 1920s).

(5) Great acting with Ben Miller playing the lower class, seemingly "hen- pecked", letch, "scum-burger" of a husband marvelously; Barbara Flynn (in a role switch for her--she usually plays the Victorian fragile type of woman) is wonderful as his domineering, upper class very irritating, brow-beating, pretentious, full of herself harpy of a wife; and Megan Dodds is great as the conniving, money seeking would be artistic vamp.

(6) An intriguing setting for the entire "goings on"--a rural, picturesque and peaceful (at least on the surface) small English village with cobblestone walkways and small sheep herds.

The entire above ingredients meld together marvelously to make a wonderfully delicious concoction. Added, to the cauldron and to the above listed "ingredients", is just a pinch of so-called British "black humor" making for a most enjoyable and savory "Murder/Mystery broth".

This mystery is not a "detective driven" Murder/Mystery. Although there is a detective in the story his investigation does not bring the culprit to justice; potted meat and flies see that justice prevails.

To sample a "jolly good" example of some very savory steaming "Murder/Mystery broth", purchase this DVD.
September 26, 2005

A mystery lover's delight

Malice Aforethought is one of those British mysteries that are set in a small rural village of yesteryear and populated with a cast of memorable characters. Dr. Edmund Bickleigh is a henpecked husband who denigrates his aspirations as an amateur artist. It's also why he is a chronic womanizer. Then into the village moves Madeleine Cranmere and he falls hard. The problem is that he must remove the obstacle of his domineering wife, end his affair with a local girl, and continue the veneer of respectability demanded of a man in his position. The costumes are period authentic, the sets are scrupulous detailed, the dialogue engaging, the acting first rate, and the plot twists are truly imaginative. Also available in a video cassette format and lead to an exciting and unpredicted conclusion, the DVD edition has a total running time of 2.5 hours and also includes access to the "Mystery! website, offers scene selection, and features closed captioning for the hearing impaired. Malice Aforethought is a mystery lover's delight and certain to be a popular addition to any community library video collection.
June 12, 2005

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