Directed by:
Kenneth BranaghScreenplay:
Michael GreenCinematography:
Haris ZambarloukosComposer:
Hildur GuðnadóttirCast:
Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Camille Cottin, Kelly Reilly, Jamie Dornan, Kyle Allen, Jude Hill, Riccardo Scamarcio, Emma Laird, Ali Khan, Michelle Yeoh (more)VOD (4)
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A Haunting in Venice is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets. (Walt Disney Nordic Fin.)
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Kenneth Branagh's first Poirot installment, which isn't an adaptation of a well-known novel, tested the strength of his era for the first time. While Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile sparked various debates because these cases always had multiple versions, "Hallowe'en Party" never belonged among notoriously famous novels. So far, there have only been two television adaptations - Hallowe'en Party (2010) and Meurtre à la kermesse (2014). The concept of a Halloween horror in the confined space of a Venetian palace is exquisite. Likewise, Poirot's interaction with the famous Ariadne Oliver is excellent. It's a great affair that practically instantly becomes an autumn classic. If Branagh continues with this, it would be ideal to choose another lesser-known case. However, it's potentially unfortunate to shift the entire thing into the post-war world (this film is set in 1947), thus closing off the opportunity to further develop Poirot's real interwar world.
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Kenneth Branagh has conceived the third installment of his Poirot series in a completely different way than the first two, with a horror, schizophrenic atmosphere that flirts with the mystery genre and leaves the hero initially floundering and unsure. Haris Zambarloukos's camera alternates between unconventional angles of waterlogged rooms and views of a drizzly Venice in an amazing way, perfectly emphasizing that uncertainty. The sound design is amazing and really stands out in Dolby Atmos. The plot, for me, is unorthodox and the denouement is unexpected. This concept suited me very well and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
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This time Kenneth Branagh took a lesser-known detective story and went to post-war Venice during Halloween: a promising constellation at first sight. The setting of an old, "cursed" house and the ubiquitous voice of a child "from beyond the grave" added a slight horror touch to the film, helping to build the oppressive, perhaps even paranoid atmosphere of a story full of superstition, ghosts and personal trauma. Still, I had the feeling during the screening that there was something not quite right about the film: whether it was the casting of Tina Fey, the staging of some scenes purely for effect, or the rather hasty revelation of the perpetrator and their subsequent punishment. Given the premise and the reviews, I had overly high expectations for the film, which were not satisfactorily met. I would be lying, however, if I said I didn't have fun in the cinema. Maybe one day I will return to Venice and reconsider my opinion.
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I think this is Branagh's best Poirot (so far?). The bet on a lesser-known case paid off, putting him in Venice was a great idea. And the best thing is the way Branagh the director enjoys the cramped setting of the old dank house falling apart, how strangely unsettling the shots from different angles are, how beautifully suspenseful and at times pure horror. The unravelling of the mystery may come as no surprise to those unfamiliar with the subject source material, but again, that's not really the point. It's about what the case leads Poirot himself to do and that, in turn, is absolutely brilliantly written and acted.
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After Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express comes Venice, and to my surprise I enjoyed it the least of all the episodes, despite quite positive reviews from other users. The mixing of horror and Hercule Poirot's detective story doesn't go together, and where other episodes relied on the graceful narration of alibis, putting the pieces together and the final synthesis of all the observed information into a final revelation, this film tries too hard to horror, scaring the viewer and suggesting ghosts, but somehow forgets the detective part. After an hour or so of the introduction, in which they try to "bludgeon" us to death, then somehow the interrogations come and before you know it, we're at the end, where Hercule somehow pulls the whole version of the story out thin air, which I didn't catch at all, and we're already in the closing credits. Rushed, poorly genre-mixed and something completely different than I would expect from this type of film - quite disappointing actually. Compared to Orient Express, the whole detective part lags behind, and compared to Nile, the film is not at all good in its chosen locations and breathtaking shots of the desert.
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Gallery (37)
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