BY LEE PFEIFFER
J.B. Priestly's much-loved play "An Inspector Calls" premiered in 1945. It went on to be a perennial on the stage in London's West End and even enjoyed two productions on Broadway. Additionally, it was brought to the screen in 1954 under the direction of Guy Hamilton with Alastair Sim in the titular role of the inspector. The BBC's well-received 2015 adaptation of the play is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime. It boasts an outstanding cast, a fine script and admirable direction by Aisling Walsh. To a degree, the story plays out very much in the style of a traditional Agatha Christie mystery in that it concerns the arrival of a detective to interrogate a group of rich snobs about the recent death of an indigent young woman. However, the play isn't a whodunnit because we learn early in the story that none of the snobs being interrogated murdered her, as she committed suicide. Then what is the angle here? Ah, that would be telling. As with all films of this type, the less said in terms of providing details, the better it is for the viewer. Thus, here are basics: the story is set in London in 1912. Arthur Birling (Ken Stott) is a rich industrialist who has heard he is on the short list for knighthood. He is throwing a dinner party in honor of his daughter Sheila's (Chloe Pirrie) engagement to her equally rich beau, Gerald Croft (Kyle Sotter). Also in attendance is the family matriarch, Arthur's wife Sybil (Miranda Richardson) and their son Eric (Finn Cole), who is Sheila's younger brother. The family is in a jovial mood. Business has been good and Arthur assumes it will be even better once his daughter marries Gerald, whose father is a potential business partner. The wine is flowing and the cigarettes and cigars are being passed when the maid announces the inexplicable late night appearance of a new local police inspector, Goole (David Thewlis), who announces he is there to interview all present about the tragic suicide of Eva Smith (Sophie Rundel). Each of the party attendees professes ignorance of her existence but as the dour inspector presses on, shocking information is revealed that will quickly dispel the upbeat atmosphere and thrust the family into a potentially ruinous crisis. Unlike a Christie tale, however, this one contains a criticism of societal inequities that one might associate with the works of Dickens. However, it never becomes preachy, just thought-provoking.
Director Walsh wisely minimizes exterior sequences and confines most of the action to the dining room where the increasingly tense and uncomfortable evening plays out. Each member of the cast is excellent but David Thewlis is mesmerizing as the unorthodox detective and Ken Stott is a standout among standouts as the snooty, blustery patriarch. The film ends on a note that may seem unsatisfying to some and seems tailored to make you debate what you just saw with a fellow viewer. It's ambiguity turns out to be an asset, once reflected upon.