Michael Apted’s Agatha is a peculiar, uninvolving mystery about the disappearance of Agatha Christie (Vanessa Redgrave) for 11 days in 1926, and how the event was investigated by an American journalist (played indifferently by a miscast Dustin Hoffman).
Grade: C+ (** out of *****)
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Theatrical release poster
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The melodrama of Christie’s marital problems doesn’t gel with the mystery thriller, and the whole movie is lethargic, lacking real dramatic energy. It is not effective on any level, and the only reason to see it is the luminous performance of Vanessa Redgrave, who makes it clear that her character was both unhappy and repressed.
However, casting Redgrave’s then real-life beau Timothy Dalton as her husband in the film adds some interest. Dalton would soon become the new James Bond.
The coupling of the very tall Redgrave and the very short Hoffman continued the trends that had first begun with the pairing of Diane Keaton and Woody Allen (“Annie Hall,” “Manhattan”), suggesting that norms of gender representation and romantic love were indeed changing in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, there is not much chemistry between the stars, and it’s hard to believe in the love that the American feel for the British writer.
The closing credits reveal that the couple divorced two years later, and that Agatha’s husband Archie did marry his secretary, Nancy.
Beautifully shot by the ace lenser Vittorio Storaro, Agatha is a lavishly produced art film masquerading as commercial entertainment.
Greeted with mixed reviews, Agatha was a box-office flop; there was simply not enough reason to watch the picture unless you’re a devoted fan of Redgrave and Hoffman.
Oscar Alert
Oscar Nominations: 1
Costume Design: Shirley Russell
Oscar Context
The winner of the Costume Design was Albert Wolsky for Bob Fosse’s musical biopic extravaganza, All That Jazz.
Credits
Directed by Michael Apted
Written by Kathleen Tynan, Arthur Hopcraft
Produced by Jarvis Astaire, Gavrik Losey
Cinematography Vittorio Storaro
Edited by Jim Clark
Music by Johnny Mandel
Production companies: Casablanca FilmWorks First Artists
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date: February 9 1979
Running time: 98 minutes
Budget $3.5 million
Box office $7.5 million
