David Suchet Movies
Known mostly for portraying Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot for more than a decade, the short and stocky character actor David Suchet has also enjoyed a lengthy career on stage, screen, and television. Born in London, he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and eventually joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Throughout the 1970s, Suchet appeared in numerous stage productions and crime dramas on British television. His did his first film in 1980 with A Tale of Two Cities, but didn't play his first detective until the crime comedy Trenchcoat in 1983. For the rest of the '80s, the British actor played a Middle Eastern terrorist in The Little Drummer Girl, a Russian operative in The Falcon and the Snowman, and a French hunter in Harry and the Hendersons. He also occasionally portrayed real-life figures, including Sigmund Freud in the miniseries Freud, news reporter William L. Shirer in the HBO docudrama Murrow, and movie legend Louis B. Mayer in RKO 281. While the Poirot mysteries would dominate his career in the '90s, Suchet also played some other leading roles: double agent Verloc in miniseries The Secret Agent, based on the novel by Joseph Conrad; Aaron in the TNT television special Moses; and downsized New Yorker Oliver in the American independent film Sunday. Some standard Hollywood action thrillers followed with Executive Decision, Deadly Voyage, and A Perfect Murder being just a few. After 2000, he turned to costume dramas to play Napoleon in Sabotage!, Baron von Stockmar in Victoria & Albert, and upper-crust Augustus Melmotte in The Way We Live Now. He resumed the role of Poirot (after a short break from 1998-1999) just as he started up another detective character, DI John Borne of NCS: Manhunt and NCS 2. In 2003, he played gangster Leo Gillette in the action thriller Foolproof. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
A Perfect Murder is based on Frederick Knott's play Dial M for Murder, filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1954. Married to commodities trader Stephen Taylor (Michael Douglas), Emily Bradford (Gwyneth Paltrow) is romantically involved with artist David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen). Aware of this affair, Stephen researches David's past, visits his loft studio, and informs David that he knows about his aliases, jail sentences, and various cons and scams directed at rich women. Then Stephen offers David $500,000 to murder Emily, and David agrees. The plan is calculated to make the murder look like an accident, but events soon go on an unscheduled course. Enter Detective Mohamed Karaman (David Suchet). Knott's original play opened June 1952 in London, followed by a New York run that began October 1952. Several books and sources describe how Hitchcock's film was made in 3-D but neglect to mention that, despite trade screenings in 3-D, Dial M for Murder was originally released in 1954 with ordinary, flat 2-D prints. It was finally shown to audiences in 3-D during the mid-'80s. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, (more)
- 1997
Writer-director Jonathan Nossiter's first feature film is a moody exploration of assaults upon, and shifts in, personal identity. The movie's action all takes place on a Sunday in a poor section of the New York City borough of Queens. Oliver (David Suchet) is a newly homeless middle-aged man who was downsized out of his job as a mid-level functionary at a computer corporation and lost his wife and family because of his employment troubles. Out walking in the borough, Oliver collides with Madeleine Vesey (Lisa Harrow), an out-of-work British actress who is in the process of breaking up with her American husband, Ben (Larry Pine). Madeleine mistakes Oliver for Matthew Delacorta, a famous film director, and Oliver goes along with the mistake, hoping that it will help him to escape his misery. Madeleine hopes that she can make an impression that will land her a film role, so she invites her new friend up to her apartment. When Oliver tells her his life story, she mistakes it for an invented movie plot because Madeleine lives her life in a fantasy world, pretending reality is a film. After the two lost souls have sex without emotion, Ben shows up. He tells Oliver that his recent open-heart surgery wounds were caused by a knife attack from Madeleine. Oliver leaves as the estranged couple argues, but he returns to retrieve his precious winter coat, and he becomes further entangled in the fantasy of a new identity. Sunday won the Grand Jury prize at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet, Lisa Harrow, (more)
Previously adapted for British television in 1976, Edith Nesbit's 1904 children's novel The Phoenix and the Carpet was again brought to the small screen by the BBC beginning November 16, 1997. The plot remained the same, with five Victorian-era children coming into possession of an enchanted carpet and a magical egg, which hatched into a garrulous Phoenix. David Suchet of Poirot fame was heard as the Phoenix's voice this time out. Dramatized by Helen Creswell, this version of The Phoenix and the Carpet ran for six 30-minute episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Fox, Ivan Berry, (more)
In this action thriller, a group of Islamic terrorists, led by Nagi Hassan (David Suchet), highjacks a 747 jetliner with 400 passengers aboard, but Lt. Col. Austin Travis (Steven Seagal), a United States intelligence agent, is convinced that this isn't an ordinary case of air piracy. His suspicions are soon confirmed; Hassan's men have obtained a large cache of stolen Soviet nerve gas, and they are using the 747 to smuggle the deadly gas into the United States, where they intend to use it to wipe out Washington D.C. and possibly the entire East Coast. As the jet approaches the U. S., engineer Dennis Cahill (Oliver Platt) designs a plan in which a military plane will be able to transfer U.S. soldiers onto the 747 and regain control of the plane and its deadly cargo. However, when Travis dies in the course of the mission, intelligence agent Dr. David Grant (Kurt Russell) is forced to take his place alongside explosives expert Cappy (Joe Morton), commando Rat (John Leguizamo), and stewardess-turned-anti-terrorist Jean (Halle Berry). Executive Decision was the first directorial assignment for veteran film editor Stuart Baird; he cut the film as well. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Halle Berry, (more)
This made-for-cable thriller stars Omar Epps as Ofusu, one of nine asylum-seeking African refugees who sneak aboard a Russian cargo vessel en route to France. When the ship's captain (Joss Ackland) discovers the stowaways, he is reminded by his aggressively ambitious executive officer (Sean Pertwee) of France's current crackdown on illegal immigration, which could result in criminal and financial penalties for the crew and their parent company. To avoid embarrassment, the captain gives in to his exec's suggestion to murder the unwanted passengers and secretly dispose of their bodies at sea. Thus ensues a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, as Ofusu and his compatriots attempt to outwit their malevolent hosts -- who in turn must keep their murderous machinations hidden from a nosy representative of the shipping company (David Suchet). Slick, stylish, and suspenseful, this otherwise conventional thriller employs slasher-movie clichés in a unique setting and benefits from Epps' compelling performance. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omar Epps, Joss Ackland, (more)
The life of the reluctant Old Testament prophet is told in this made-for-television biblical drama. When the Pharaoh Ramses calls for the death of all Hebrew children, a mother puts her son Moses in a basket and sends him down the Nile to save his life. The baby is found by a princess and raised as the heir to the family throne. Called upon by God, the hesitant Moses (Ben Kingsley) accepts the challenge to lead his enslaved people out of Egypt for what becomes a 40-year journey into the promised land. This extravagant production was nominated for the "Outstanding Mini-Series" Emmy. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
David Suchet stars as the fastidious Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this made-for-TV adaptation of the classic mystery by Agatha Christie. A killer is on the loose who is toying with the great sleuth by sending him a series of letters in which he announces when and where his next crime will occur. Can Poirot discover who is the criminal and determine his motive before he kills again? Poirot: The ABC Murders was originally aired in the U.S. on the PBS series Mystery! The supporting cast includes Philip Jackson as Inspector Japp and Hugh Frasier as Capt. Hastings. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet, Hugh Frasier, (more)
Belgium's greatest export since the waffle, master detective Hercule Poirot is on the case once again in this made-for-TV feature adapted from the classic novel by Agatha Christie. A devious blackmailer is murdered in the middle of an airline flight, and it's all but impossible to separate the legitimate suspects from the innocent bystanders -- or at least it seems that way until it's discovered that Monsieur Poirot (David Suchet) is on board. Poirot: Death in the Clouds was aired in the U.S. as part of the PBS series Mystery!, and it reunites Suchet with Philip Jackson as Inspector Japp. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet, Philip Jackson, (more)
- 1992
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Agatha Christie's popular sleuth Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) goes after the murderer of a dentist in the full-length feature One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. Poirot and Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) investigate a murder and find the connection to a high-profile political figure. After finding the first clue -- a buckle from a women's shoe -- the detectives are off in search of the killer. This series of Poirot mysteries is well-known for its high production values and art direction. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 1991
Here's a story that seeks to remind children that even the most humble of people can do well in life, especially if they have helpful friends. The story is based on an old Russian folk tale about a peasant boy who competes with others to win the hand of a princess in marriage. The story progresses in such a way that viewers won't know until the end whether the young peasant boy will wind up being the first one to find and bring a flying ship to the czar who has requested one. Learn more about the many interesting friends that Pyotr makes as he heads for the czar's palace. David Suchet provides the narration for this segment of the PBS series Long Ago and Far Away that won an Emmy Award. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Agatha Christie's fastidious Belgian detective is on the trail of evildoers once again in this made-for-TV mystery. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) is attending a flower show where a pink rose is to be named after him when he's given a packet of seeds by an older woman. Poirot is later called upon by the same woman, who fearfully claims there's serious trouble at her home. When he arrives, Poirot discovers a murder has been committed, and the woman's Russian housekeeper, thought to be part of a Communist conspiracy, is the prime suspect. Poirot: How Does Your Garden Grow? was produced by the British network Granada Television, and later aired in the United States as part of the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 1990
Following a jewelry heist, Poirot (David Suchet) is approached by an enigmatic veiled lady who requests his help in thwarting a blackmailer. His investigative tactics place him briefly on the wrong side of the law, and Poirot is thrilled to learn his fame as a detective has reached the criminal classes. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 1990
Belgium's most famous detective comes to the rescue of his adopted British homeland in this mystery based on the novel by Agatha Christie. The Prime Minister of England has arrived in France for a major international summit meeting when he's kidnapped. Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) is called in to help find the leader, with only 32 hours to spare before the conference is to begin. Following a lead that the PM's car was attacked en route to the ship, Poirot focuses his investigation in England, which puzzles and angers his superiors -- until the dapper Belgian cracks the case. Poirot: The Kidnapped Prime Minister was produced by the British network Granada Television, and later aired in the United States as part of the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 1990
In a small Cornish town, a wife suspects her dentist husband of slowly poisoning her because he's got the hots for his young, blond assistant. When Poirot (David Suchet) steps in to investigate, he finds that the wife is partially correct, but solving the real mystery is more complicated than it first appeared. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 1990
Made for British television, Don't Hang Up offers one of Rosanna Arquette's best and least-mannered performances. She plays a New York actress, confined to her apartment by a physical handicap. David Suchet co-stars as a Londoner who suffers a mortal fear of crowded places. The two strike up a long-distance romance via telephone, reaching out but never quite touching. Don't Hang Up unfolds like a pleasant (albeit poignant) evening at the theatre; its success hinges entirely upon the superlative performances of its two stars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Hastings is surprised when Poirot (David Suchet) announces his intention to retire and asks Hastings to accompany him on a trip to the seaside. En route, the two make the acquaintance of a young woman who discovers some valuable antiques missing from her possession. Hastings thinks that he's found the thief, but it's only after Poirot comes out of retirement that the case is solved. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 1990
In this whodunit based on a novel by Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) is delighted to be entertaining a lovely Belgian film star one evening, while Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) is hot on the trail of a master jewel thief. When the actress confesses she's been receiving threatening letters since she came into possession of a valuable diamond called "The Western Star," Poirot and Japp join forces to find the offending party, though they also have to keep a close eye on the actress, who intends to wear her prize diamond for a major social event. oirot: The Adventure Of The Western Star was produced by the British network Granada Television, and later aired in the United States as part of the PBS series Mystery!. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
- 1989
When a theatrical impresario is murdered, the prime suspect is the young starlet he had taken under his wing, but Poirot suspects there is more to the case than meets the eye. ~ Mark Hockley, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Suchet
