one thing about these new poirots be that we must expect change to the source material . quite often i do not mind the change if they make sense or add something to the story or if the change be accompany by some particularly affecting performance . unfortunately none of these thing apply to the change make to take at the flood . i have to confess that this be never one of my favourite christie novel . i always find most of the character fairly unpleasant and here the film manage to make them even more so . it quite a slow moving story and the film do nothing to hurry it along . a very dark tone be adopt which be appropriate enough i suppose but so many of our misfit character tip over into caricature and ( unlike the vast majority of these adaptation ) there be few performance to savour . elizabeth spriggs be fun and rosaleen be sympathetically do but the others be either creature from pantomime ( kathy and lionel and especially david who just need a moustache to twirl ) or a noel coward play ( jeremy and france and lynn ) . once again those responsible for adapt this particular christie have felt the need to cram the final denouement with a many extra revelation a they possibly can each cloade must have a nasty secret to be uncover by poirot and most of which must surely be stab in the dark . a rosaleen be save in this version and the scriptwriter obviously felt that the other death in this tale be a little bland and so introduce the dynamite plot to set poirot moustache quiver in righteous anger . i agree of course with all other reviewer who point out that make the death of gordon cloade and his household domestic murder instead of accident show a complete lack of understanding of what the book be actually about . this be one of christie title which be carefully think out and contain all the clue one need we be deal first and foremost with an adventurer and opportunist . i appreciate that a this series seem firmly fix in the thirty and a war bombing be no longer sensible but the original explanation of the gas explosion work just as well why make it murder . we must remember however that the film maker be aim to amake the story more relevant and accessible to a modern audience and i suppose that that must explain everything . easily the bad of the season .