Death on the Nile Review: Kenneth Branagh on Slow Boat to Murder

| February vii, 2022 |

| Comments count:0

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot — *Photograph: Rob Youngson/20th Century Studios*

Count united states among those surprised when manager Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1934 mystery novel Murder on the Orient Express was an unexpected hit at the box office, raking in $352 million worldwide. Considering that the adaptation, like this weekend'south Death on the Nile , was a flow piece based on source material probably either unknown or musty to modernistic audiences (likewise equally coming from an author now considered quite problematic in some ways), Branagh'southward largely traditional take on the archetype mystery (adapted previously for the large screen in 1974) managed to land with moviegoers.

That's mainly because it was fun, with ornate sets and design, a glittering all-star cast, and Branagh–consummate with an outrageous Belgian accent and an even more than outlandish waxed sculpture of a mustache that arguably stole the flick–chewed into the role of Christie's famed detective Hercule Poirot with gusto. It was a romp, and the one-time-timey puzzle-box nature of the whole thing made it a nice change of pace from the usual fare.

Naturally, the end of Orient Limited teased a sequel based on Christie's 1937 novel Death on the Nile , and indeed Branagh got backside the photographic camera (and again applied the mustache, albeit a tad subdued) for a shoot that lasted from September to Dec 2019, and with screenwriter Michael Green once over again penning the adaptation, and Branagh loading up a cast that included Gal Gadot, Annette Bening, Russell Make, Letitia Wright, and, uh, Armie Hammer.

Following the beginning of the shoot, all the same, Play tricks (the studio behind both pictures) was sold to Disney, the pandemic exploded, and delayed everything by a year or more, and Hammer's career imploded following allegations of emotional and sexual abuse, infidelity and other baroque personal behavioral problems. Yet hither we are, in 2022, and Death on the Nile is at terminal a movie that exists for audiences to see. Is it as much fun as its predecessor, or has the moment for handsomely staged and stylized period mysteries passed?

The answer is yes and no. Death on the Nile (previously adjusted in 1978) is non quite as enjoyable every bit Orient Express , primarily because the commencement hour of the pic takes too long to get out of the harbor and spends too much time on various non-essential activities before finally diving into the sleuthing of whodunit. The flick is well-nigh halfway over before a murder occurs, but one time that happens and the heart of the story kicks in, Decease on the Nile offers up a lot of the same pleasures every bit Branagh'southward first Poirot outing.

Information technology's an increasingly tiresome standard operating procedure in mainstream visual storytelling today–whether in films or streaming content–to begin with a flashback and/or origin story, and in this case nosotros go both: Death opens with a de-anile (and unfortunately uncanny-valleyed) Poirot in the trenches during World State of war I, equally his platoon gets ordered to brand a seemingly doomed last run at the Germans beyond the wire.

Only Poirot uses his previously untapped powers of deduction to determine the perfect time to make the accuse, and it proves successful, at least until his commanding officer killed, his face scarred (hence the mustache), and the love of his life rushing to his bedside in spite of the unintended consequences.

"Unintended consequences" is a theme that recurs throughout Death on the Nile , as Green'south screenplay this fourth dimension works a little more at digging into Poirot's grapheme and some of the supporting players as well. But this is not necessarily what we came for, although Branagh skillfully transitions the Poirot of the kickoff motion picture into a sadder, more melancholy version here.

As we wink forrad to the present, the detective finds himself in Arab republic of egypt, meeting upwards with his old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman, returning from Orient Express ) and, back in London, observing from a distance (at start) a lather opera that unfolds as self-styled playboy Simon Doyle (Hammer) ditches his steamy, cyclone romance and engagement with the smoldering Jacqueline (Emma Mackey) for an as rapid–only much more lucrative–marriage to her wealthy one-time best friend Linnet (Gadot, still a non-presence when not in Amazon style).

Equally an embittered Jacqueline stalks Simon and Linnet all the manner to the steamship S.S. Karnak, on which the couple volition exist sailing downwardly the Nile with an entourage of friends and administration, the Doyles attempt to hire Poirot to officially dissuade Jacqueline from her plans. He refuses, and the Karnak sets sail. Afterward what seems like a lot of interminable setup, someone is killed in their cabin, and the most obvious suspects aren't quite so clear cut as they starting time seem. It's thus upwardly to a reluctant Poirot to determine who the killer is.

Once this portion of the movie kicks in, when there is actually a death on the Nile, and the mystery takes center stage, Decease on the Nile becomes an increasingly suspenseful, fast-paced, and twisty thriller involving stolen pearls, more death–some of information technology quite grisly–a complicated programme, and a pistol or ii. It'south quite engrossing, a credit to the structure of Christie's plotting and the screenplay'southward largely faithful rendering of it (although some characters have been changed).

Branagh is in the spotlight again, of grade, and though his Poirot is more than contemplative this time, he's still a joy to watch when he'south reminding people, "I am Hercule Poirot!" and sounding like he really means it. As for the ensemble of suspects, an unrecognizable Brand stands out in a surprisingly somber turn as a doctor and Linnet's onetime lover, while Mackey, Wright, and Sophie Okonedo also turn in potent piece of work. Other characters are altered seamlessly to make the bandage more various, taking some of the sting out of knowing Christie's outdated views on race and ethnicity.

As for Armie Hammer… well, he'south enough of a major grapheme that we suppose Disney was not willing to spend the money and time to reshoot a significant portion of the film with a dissimilar histrion two years later. The company and Branagh should be commended for not trying (every bit far as we can see) to cut effectually him in whatsoever way that could impairment the story. It'southward not their fault that his scandal occurred after this flick had completed shooting.

What is their fault is the shoddiness of some of the visuals. Murder on the Orient Express had a lovely palette, and while Death on the Nile does have a number of dainty shots and vistas, others are jarringly disrupted by less than stellar green screen backdrops (this is the second movie we've seen recently with that trouble–parts of Moonfall look like the actors are emoting in front of a slideshow). Peradventure a picayune extra effort could have gone into making those amend.

The bigger effect, nonetheless, is that Expiry on the Nile just takes besides long to go to the expert stuff. Merely once it does, yous'll be hooked for the motion picture's 2nd one-half. If you can handle a slow gunkhole to nowhere for a while, this latest (and probably final) Poirot mystery will get you to a worthy destination.

Decease on the Nile is in theaters this Friday, February. eleven.