Pulp Reviews: Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears
Ellie Stephenson and Swapnik Sanagavarapu watch a much-awaited movie.
As devout viewers of ABC murder mysteries, we were eager to see the new, filmic installment of the Phryne Fisher franchise, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears. Last Thursday, packed into the Hayden Orpheum theatre with several hundred elderly couples, we watched the film’s Sydney premiere.
A brief background for uninitiated viewers: Phryne started off as a character in Kerry Greenwood’s eponymous series of books. She’s a fearlessly independent and daringly progressive woman living in 1920s Melbourne, who grew up poor but came upon wealth when distant English relatives were killed in World War 1. She takes pleasure in high society, meddling in police affairs and flouting the archaic morality of her Aunt Prudence. The books were adapted for the small screen by the ABC, which created three series starring Essie Davis as Phryne. Now the writers of the show have turned their hands to cinema.
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears has a bold vision. With a setting divided between English estates and turbulent British-occupied Palestine, the film has a lot on its plate. Its premise is that Phryne, who we last saw flying into the distance away from Melbourne, is now in Palestine on a mission to rescue a young, dissident Bedouin girl named Shirin. An epic plot ensues: Phryne is reunited with Detective Jack, witnesses murders in English cathedrals and uncovers ancient desert graves.
The film, while lots of fun, left us unsatisfied. Essie Davis was stunning as always, breathing life into a plot that seemed ripped from Indiana Jones. We also were excited to see Phryne and Jack working together once again with their characteristic chemistry clearly charming the audience. All the same, it didn’t have the impact of a classic 45 minute episode.
The villains were undeveloped, with the big reveal at the end leaving us cold thanks to the lack of exposition. Quick plot twists appear engaging, not hasty, in a TV show; in long form it’s a little less convincing. The setting, while spectacular, was under-used. Palestine under British rule could’ve lent the film more nuance and tension. Most annoying was the presence of supernatural activity: the likes of mysterious curses and enchanted gemstones. The supernatural has its place in something like Indiana Jones, where it’s easy to suspend disbelief and not interrogate the plot too much. In a murder mystery, however, explanations are the genre’s bread and butter. It’s a lazy device to let secret desert magic go unjustified.
You might think after these complaints that we don’t want you to go watch the movie. To be clear, we really do. The Q&A afterwards asked the cast and producers what audiences could do to ensure we get yet more Phryne Fisher. The reply was simple: turn out to cinemas and watch this movie. Yes, the writing of this film wasn’t mindblowing and it didn’t translate perfectly from TV. But Phryne remains a brilliant character, her costumes are as gorgeous as ever and the movie is pretty entertaining. As certified Miss Fisher connoisseurs, we think the producers just need more practice.