GOOD NEW MOVIE: CROOKED HOUSE

CROOKED HOUSE (2017). Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner.

When the wealthy and elderly Aristide Leonides is found dead in his bed, his grand-daughter, Sophia (Stefanie Martini), importunes old boyfriend and private eye Charles Hayward (Max Irons) to look into things and discovers the man was poisoned. Suspicion immediately falls upon Brenda (Christina Hendricks), Leonides' much, much younger wife, who was having an affair with the tutor, Laurence (John Heffernan), but there are other suspects as well: Leonides' sons Philip (Julian Sands) and Roger (Christian McKay), and his grandson Eustace (Preston Nyman); their respective wives Magda, the actress (Gillian Anderson), and Clemency (Amanda Abbington); and the spinster aunt, Lady Edith (Glenn Close). Trying to assist Charles as he interviews everyone in the house is young Josephine (Honor Kneafsey), who is keeping a journal as she tries to find out "who-dun-it" before Charles does, but her efforts may get her into trouble -- or worse.

Glenn Close

Crooked House is a good adaptation of an excellent 1949 novel by Agatha Christie, and it builds in suspense and power as it goes along. The actors who make the best impression are the best-known: Terence Stamp [Superman II] in the small role of a Scotland Yard inspector; Glenn Close as the somewhat eccentric but likable aunt; and Gillian Anderson [The X Files] as the flighty tippling actress who isn't much of a mother to her three children. Close and Anderson's characterizations border on caricature at times, but they are both fun, although there are times Close seems to be channeling Cruella de Vil. Max Irons, son of Jeremy Irons, is competent enough, but his performance lacks charisma and intensity. Most of the other performers are quite good. The film is handsomely mounted, with especially striking art direction, although sometimes the players seem rather lost in the very wide-screen photography. Apparently the story takes place in the 1950's, which explains the rock 'n' roll, but the atmosphere and fashions are very thirties. Paquet-Brenner also directed Dark Places.

Verdict: Creditable Agatha Christie adaptation is not as good as the book, but worth viewing in any case. ***. 

ALL STAR SUPERMAN

Superman and Lois Lane have a moment

ALL STAR SUPERMAN (2011/direct to video). Director: Sam Liu.

This is a feature length animated film based on the comic book mini-series of the same name. Rescuing some people in space, Superman is told that he absorbed radiation that is slowly killing him, something that was, of course, engineered by arch enemy Lex Luthor. Like the series, this is episodic, but eliminates some of the stupider sequences of the comic, such as the protracted business with the Bizarro duplicates, although the silly sequence with macho meathead time travelers "Atlas" and "Samson" remains. The sequence with the Parasite -- who is especially monstrous looking in this -- in jail has been expanded and is exciting. There are also two Kryptonian astronauts who were lost in space but now represent a danger to earth, an energy creature named Solaris, and Luthor's nasty niece Nasthalthia. James Denton, Christina Hendricks and Anthony LaPaglia all give good voice performances as, respectively, Superman, Lois Lane, and Luthor.

Verdict: Okay, but watch the excellent Superman vs. the Elite instead. **1/2.