According to imdb.com, Innocent Lies is based on an Agatha Christie novel, Towards
Zero, but when Christie's daughter read the finished script, she demanded that her
mother’s name go uncredited and the characters names changed because of
a theme of incest in the film. There is a very tiny mention of Christie in
the credits.
The film begins in 1938 with the suicide of a British
detective in a small French town along the coast. The victim’s colleague,
Inspector Alan Cross (Adrian Dunbar) and his young daughter arrive soon after. Cross believes
the suicide was actually murder.
The suicide was investigating the eccentric
family of Lady Helena Graves (played by Joanna Lumley of Absolutely Fabulous
fame) who live in a 1920’s modern mansion on the coast. Lady Helena and her two
children become suspects. Celia (Gabrielle Anwar) has just returned from
America with her fiancé and Jeremy (Stephen Dorff) has returned with his bride.
All the family guard secrets—Jeremy is believed to have killed his twin brother
in a bow-and-arrow accident as children, Celia’s previous fiancé died in a car
accident just days before they were to be married, Jeremy’s new wife is paying
off what appears to be blackmail to a stranger, and Mother Helena has ties
with the Nazis.
Cross quickly becomes embroiled in the family’s secrets, and
when Helena is murdered, the whole case comes to a head.
Inspector Cross becomes somewhat unique in terms of having
his daughter with him and allowing himself to get personally involved in the
case. Detachment doesn’t seem to be one of his qualities.
Although the film is set in 1938, with talk of Jews and
Nazis, there doesn’t appear to be much attempt at using period. The film plays
like it had been a made-for-television with adult situations, a rather safe
mystery with many red-herrings and juicy secrets that need solving. The scene
where Cross sorts things out turns out to be a definite twist.
Sharp viewers might recognize Keira Knightley as the young
Celia. The role of Lady Helena had been offered to Julie Christie who turned
down the role.
Innocent Lies (1995) *** (Netflix streaming)
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