Alibi (1931) Review - The Poirot with no mustache

If you are looking for a fast mystery with lots of clues and action, you should probably skip this one. This is for the people who like dusty old movies and seeing how things started. It is 1931 and movies were just starting to talk, so everything feels a bit stiff. It’s basically a filmed stage play.

The biggest shock is Poirot himself. Austin Trevor plays him, and he has no mustache. It feels illegal to see Poirot with a bare upper lip. He looks more like a worried accountant than a genius detective.

The story is the classic Roger Ackroyd setup. A wealthy man is found dead in his study. The door is locked from the inside. Everyone in the house has a secret and a reason to want him gone.

I noticed the sound is really rough in this version. There is this constant hiss in the background that never goes away. It sounds like someone is frying bacon in the next room while the actors talk.

Speaking of talking, they do a lot of it. There isn't much of a visual style here like you see in The Golem. That movie used shadows and weird shapes to tell a story. This movie just uses chairs and tables.

The camera stays in one spot for a long time. It feels like the director was afraid to move it in case it fell over. The actors have to walk into the frame to be seen. It’s kind of funny watching them hit their marks so carefully.

There is a scene where a character uses a Dictaphone. It’s this old-timey recording machine with wax cylinders. The movie spends a lot of time explaining how it works. I guess it was high-tech back then.

Austin Trevor is actually okay as Poirot, even without the facial hair. He has this quick way of talking. He doesn't do the heavy accent we are used to now. He sounds like a guy who is just very tired of everyone lying to him.

One guy, I think it was Franklin Dyall, has this incredibly deep voice. Every time he speaks, the audio peaks and gets all distorted. He’s very dramatic. He would have been great in a silent film like Blindfold where he could just use his face.

I got a bit confused about who was who halfway through. All the men are wearing the exact same suits. They all have the same slicked-back hair. I had to start identifying them by their ties.

The ending happens very fast. Poirot gathers everyone in the room and just starts pointing fingers. It’s very satisfying in a simple way. No big chases, just a guy being smarter than everyone else.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie sometimes. But it’s a neat artifact for Agatha Christie fans. Don’t expect much and you might enjoy the cozy vibe.

Things I noticed:

• The house looks like it has about three pieces of furniture in the whole place.
• Everyone smokes constantly, even when they are supposed to be sad.
• The way they pour tea is very aggressive.
• There is a lot of standing near windows and looking out at nothing.

Is it better than the modern Poirot movies? Not really. But it has a charm. It feels like watching a history lesson that happens to have a murder in it. Just don't go in expecting a mustache.