By Robert Ernest (@thatRobster | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
After what’s felt like a lifetime of waiting, the much-anticipated film adaptation of Richard Osman’s 2000 bestseller has finally hit Netflix.
Coopers Chase provides the setting where four elderly people living in a retirement community form a club and meet in the jigsaw room each week to investigate unsolved murder cases. Meet The Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) supplies the group with gripping cases, provided by another resident now living in the palliative care unit at Coopers Chase. She leads Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and new recruit, Joyce (Celia Imrie) as they find themselves solving a case in real time when murders begin happening around them.
There was a lot riding on this for me as I’m a huge fan of the series of books, and the characters each have a very special place in my heart. There’s potential for disappointment when any book is adapted, but with the exception of Pierce Brosnan (who does a perfectly fine job), I felt the casting was pretty much spot on. Helen Mirren is Elizabeth to a tea and admirably portrays a successful woman who thrives when she’s in command. Celia Imrie truly captures the essence of Joyce’s scatty innocence, which she seems to be able to switch on and off when needed. Kingsley encapsulates the sweetness of Ibrahim, although the film prematurely hints at a journey of self-discovery which unravels way down the line.
There are many other well-known faces in supporting roles, including David Tennant, Tom Ellis, Richard E Grant and Jonathan Pryce. One supporting character I needed them to get right is another favourite of mine, Bogdan played by Henry Lloyd-Hughes. Even though it’s not how I pictured him physically, Lloyd-Hughes does a superb job in showing Bogdan’s complex persona. In addition to that, Lesley Manville, who narrates the audiobooks, pronounces his name wrong (in my opinion), and with the exception of David Tennant, everyone else says it the way I read it in my head. That made me inexplicably happy!
The story from the book plays out brilliantly on screen, and even though I pictured Coopers Chase to look much more dated – think Dot Cotton’s home in Eastenders – it did make for a picturesque backdrop. Interactions between the big four and police duo Donna and Chris (brilliantly played by Naomi Ackie and Daniel Mays) make for some really fun moments. Joyce has great timing with her delightfully gluttonous cakes.
The whole thing is simply joyful. There are one or two deviations from the book, but you really build the same strong attachments to the characters on screen – a huge compliment to the actors playing them. I enjoy that its main delivery is that it doesn’t matter how old you are, there is still mischief and adventure in us all. Thankfully, when it ended, I found myself feeling the same warm, content feeling I did at the end of the book. Groundbreaking it is not. But if you’re looking for a feel-good, charming ride, then get ready to fall in love with The Thursday Murder Club.
X-Geeks 