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Invitation To A Murder leads with florist Miranda Green (Mischa Barton – Neighbours), writer of stories, but a legend in her own lunchtime, and receiving a random invitation to an island hideaway owned by rich guy Lewis Findley who – despite organising the event for the six people who turn up – has yet to arrive.
After a train trip which looks to mirror the Orient Express, such is the Agatha Christie-like vibe this gives, with Miranda paying close attention to detail in every aspect, even spotting a thief in a bookshop, one of this disparate bunch of individuals notices that the invitations feature five leaves on the seal, yet there are six people who have been invited, most of whom are smug and smarmy morons.
So, given the fact we’re expecting a murder, who will it be? Or will there be more than one?
Clichés are abound, such as the remote location, the huge mansion suffering a power outage, everyone being a potential suspect when a body is found, and the dialogue, for example between Miranda and journalist Donald Walker (Chris Browning – The Lincoln Lawyer):
- Donald (exasperated): “It’s just games, on top of games, on top of games…”
Miranda: “And we’ve got to play them all!”
That said, while it does get a bit ridiculous towards the end, Invitation To A Murder is reasonably well acted for a TV drama, so isn’t a complete waste of 92 minutes (plus ads).
Oddly, this film is also known as An Invitation To Murder, as if no-one can decide precisely what it should be.
Invitation To A Murder can be seen on My5. It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but when it is, it will be listed on the New DVD, Blu-ray, 3D and 4K releases UK page.
Score: 5.5/10
Director: Stephen Shimek
Producers: Jerome Reygner-Kalfon, Sebastien Semon, Brian Vilim, Zeus Zamani
Story: Gerard Miller
Screenplay: Brian O’Donnell, Jerome Reygner-Kalfon, Sebastien Semon
Music: Christian Davis
Cast:
Miranda Green: Mischa Barton
Donald Walker: Chris Browning
Carmen Blanco: Bianca Santos
Phillip Armstrong: Giles Matthey
Lu Wang: Grace Lynn Kung
Lawrence Kane: Seamus Dever
Gordon: James Urbaniak
Katherine: Amy Sloan
Sean: Alex Hyde-White
Detective Church: Clark Carmichael
Annette: Rae Gray
Mrs. Cavendish: Liz Pazik
Scruffy Man: Curtis Edward Jackson
Blunder the Dog: Q’Ira
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.