It was impossible to avoid the highest expectations for the screen rendition of The Thursday Murder Club, based on Richard Osman’s fizzing cozy murder series of the same name. After all, the four retirement village residents who form the club and investigate old cases and a newly arriving one on their doorstep are Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, and Pierce Brosnan. The book was so enjoyable! But after a boisterous start that seemed to echo the spirit of the book, the movie rapidly collapses into humdrum. Kingsley is the only actor of the quartet to fit his role. Mirren performs a pastiche, Imrie is too daffy, and Brosnan … well, what on earth is that accent of his? Perhaps the problem with the film is the ridiculousness of the plot, which in the novel feels merely daffily daring. Perhaps the problem is the insipid music. In any case, The Thursday Murder Club whiles away the time and would suit your mother-in-law, but man oh man, what a wasted opportunity!
Book, movie/show, and album reviews
