Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears

In making the transition from tv to film, the creative team of 'Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears' changed the pacing and locations with a view to expanding the show's horizons, which is all well and good on paper but in practice I don't know that they achieved what they hoped in doing so. Which is a shame because I think they did so with noble intentions and it was a labour of love. The reason the show worked was because it so effectively recreated 1920's Australia and it went at a lively canter, whether it be dialogue or action. I always think if the formula works, don't change it too much and stick with it, there's no real reason to and they did and it didn't work. You don't necessarily need to make it more "cinematic", just do what you did on tv and add another half hour. The narrative style changed because a large part of the movie focused on the family drama of the Bedouin people on whom its plot was based. And so it was a lot more talky, slower paced and with less action for the first three quarters, which took the wind out of its sails to an extent and gave it a listless quality. Happily, it was never quite dull, and whenever it became a tad flat it briefly picked up pace and narrative strength before it returned to the timid lilt. Essie Davis and Nathan Page's minds seemed elsewhere also or neither actor was playing their character with as much aplomb as they did on the show, which was really weird. Seeing Essie Davis not being self-assured as a character she played so well over three series made for strange viewing, and felt a little sad. Likewise Nathan Page, and his character Detective Jack Robinson particularly really suffered from being taken out of the normal context of his police station, not really having a lot to do and Page didn't seem like he knew what to do with Jack. Also they used a soft focus filter on the lens, the point of which I couldn't see, detracted from the film's presence and I found really annoying. I understand it was a genre thing and a nod to the comparable adventure films of the time, but for me it only served to frustrate the material. The plot and action picked up pace in the last quarter and what struck me was again, as with the tv show, this's a good story, they've done a very good job and once again 'Miss Fisher' was very well plotted by Deb Cox. However, unfortunately those qualities were spread too thinly due to the muting effect of the elements hitherto mentioned. Which was a real shame, because I'm such a big believer in 'Miss Fisher', and was one of those passionate fans of what all things considered, was a wonderful show, and I really wanted to believe in this film. I honestly expected I'd go in and be impressed by a very good movie. Which is frustrating, because the bones of it were there, the basic story was as good as ever and the film only just fell short of the mark I thought, with just a few too many of the elements going awry. There were a few good laughs, but spread a little thinly through the film. At least you can say 'Miss Fisher' didn't commit the cardinal sin of being dull, it was never boring, just underwhelming and a missed opportunity regrettably in my opinion.

Maybe this is a movie for the die hard fans only, but not knowing anything about it, it was a struggle to sit through the whole thing. Slow moving, convoluted and not clear whether this is a detective movie or a costume drama version of tomb raider.

MILD SPOILERS As a fervent fan of the Phryne Fisher TV series, I had such high hopes for this film. And yet, what a disappointment! The lovely Essie Davis and her costumers did succeed in bringing back Phryne's quintessential modish look. And there is no question that the film locations used were sumptuous. But-but-but ... the writers completely failed to capture Phryne's elemental joie de vive and essential kindness, swapping them out instead for a kind of callow recklessness coupled with an extremely mean-spirited plot device for bringing the cast together that does not jibe with Phryne's empathetic nature (and was not explained in a way that gets her off the hook for callousness). The mischaracterization of Phryne really poisoned the show for me, but there were other problems as well. It is Phryne's task to solve a mystery, of course, but woe is me, the storyline looks like the mutant offspring of a threesome amongst Indiana Jones, The Mummy and Romancing the Stone, having inherited the worst aspects of each. Is there a menacing cave? Yes. A beautiful lost jewel? Yes. A remote desert location involving picturesque sand dunes? Of course. A mysterious child? Uh-huh. Someone who "done somebody wrong"? Absolutely. Something otherworldly and mystical? Why even bother asking? But do these too-familiar mystery/adventure film tropes weave together to make an interesting story? Definitely not. You will not care about the details of the mystery or its solution, which are both overly complicated and ultimately trivial. Will you care about the Phryne/Jack subplot, which is really why we all showed up? Maybe. But it's hard to care very much when Jack spends the whole film looking as though he ate some bad hummus and needs to find a bathroom. The chemistry between Phryne and Jack, so compelling in the TV series, is almost entirely absent here, and that was the worst blow of all. I mean, if you can't watch Phryne and Jack melting the TV screen while lusting after one another, what's the point? In these days of plague when we're all housebound, this movie is a perfectly reasonable way to spend a couple of hours. It may even be diverting, but it is not likely to bring joy to Miss Fisher fans.

If you're a fan of the show or new to Phryne's world this is a great, fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. The acting is amazing - Essie Davis is a born star and I don't know why Nathan Page isn't a household name already. It's fun, funny and full of snarky banter and joy. Watching Phryne sparkle in the face of danger is perfect antidote to the current movie obsession with ostentatious grimdark.

Miss Fisher didn't disappoint with beautiful costumes and witty interplay between characters. I did enjoy the colour and exoticness of the location but would have preferred more of her Australian locations. Always fantastic to see strong women characters.

Miss Fisher was a bit of a disappointment, the Crypt of Tears could easily have fit into an hour long TV episode. While the costumes and scenery were lovely and the soundtrack great the plot was a bit thin and it dragged. 3 Stars George: I lost the plot and couldn't figure out what was going on but I enjoyed the scenery and the the 1920s jazz soundtrack was fabulous. 3.5 stars

We got comp tickets, were looking forward to some simple, family escapism, and (I guess) that's what we got. But seriously, I cannot think of one thing that was done in this movie that was done well. It is ridiculously bad. Terrible. I have watched The Room three times, the second and third time because it is just So Bad it really stands out. This one doesn't even do that. I'd really like to add something constructive - check out my other reviews and you'll see I'm usually complimentary, and if I watch a merely reasonable movie I refrain from commenting - but this was exceptional. It wasn't a complete waste of time, because it's something I can look back on with a combination of amusement and horror.

This is an Australia based series but they chose to make the focal point the middle east and it didn't work on any level. Attempt at humor fell flat, no real plot, and certainly nobody to really care about. Even the byplay between the leads was awkward and contrived. A miss at every level.

This movie is just a fun movie. You could take your kids or your grandparents and everyone will love it. Don't expect lurid violence or deep and meaningful but if you just want some fun escapism with a bit of adventure, a bit of fantasy, a bit of romance, great costumes and the incomparable Phryne Fisher- then run to see it.

***Spoiler alert*** I have watched the series so many times, when I heard about the movie, I was very excited, and it did not disappoint me. It's a fairly light movie, but with a lot of the same characters we have grown very fond of over the life of the series. The scenery is delightful and Miss Fisher is adorned in her stylishly beautiful outfits as per usual. It was a pleasure to see John Waters and Rupert Penry-Jones play significant parts as well. The story behind the plot is interesting and there was a small teaser before the end credits that could hopefully lead to another movie. As for the ending.....you need to watch the movie for that secret to be revealed.