Mon petit doigt m’a dit... (2005) - film review

Shortly after visiting their elderly aunt in a luxury retirement home, Bélisaire and Prudence Beresford are surprised by her sudden death.  Prudence becomes convinced foul play is at work when she learns that one of the other old women she met in the home has mysteriously disappeared.  In her aunt’s possessions, Prudence comes across a painting of a country house, a painting which awakens some dormant memory.  Despite her husband’s objections, Prudence sets out to unravel the mystery...

Something wicked this way comes... Pascal Thomas’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel "By the Pricking of My Thumbs" feels more like a slightly embarrassing murder mystery weekend than a serious reinterpretation of a classic English thriller.  Whilst the film is pretty faithful to the novel on which it is based, Pascal Thomas gives it a far from subtle comic twist which dilutes the sense of menace and intrigue without adding much in terms of entertainment value. 

The film’s main draw is Catherine Frot’s spirited portrayal of an amateur sleuth.  It’s the third time the actress has worked with Pascal Thomas – their most successful collaboration being La Dilettante (1999).  Although Frot handles the comedy brilliantly, a lacklustre, cliché-heavy script prevents her from making her character particularly convincing.  Likewise, Thomas’s direction lacks the discipline and maturity of many of his previous films, even if the end result is mildly entertaining, if only as a half-hearted send-up of a popular genre. Playing the part of Catherine Frot’s daughter in this film is Sarah Biasini, the daughter of the iconic film actress Romy Schneider.

© James Travers 2007

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