Hoffman's next roles were also successful. He opted out of directing "Straight Time" (1978), but starred as a thief. His next film, Michael Apted's "Agatha" (1979), was with Vanessa Redgrave as Agatha Christie, focussing on the missing eleven days of the author's life. The part of Archie Christie was played by Timothy Dalton, then partner of Vanessa Redgrave, and later to star in James Bond movies. Dalton's depiction of cold indifference to his wife produced a perfect foil to Hoffman's portrayal of warm compassion, humour and sensitivity. The film had both romantic and comic moments whilst the overall plot cleverly mirrored one of Christie's detective novels. "Agatha" was generally very well received by critics, especially in the UK, and maintains an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.