Directed by:
Kenneth BranaghScreenplay:
Michael GreenCinematography:
Haris ZambarloukosComposer:
Patrick DoyleCast:
Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman, Letitia Wright, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Russell Brand, Annette Bening, Ali Fazal, Rose Leslie (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement. (Walt Disney Nordic Fin.)
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Reviews (12)
I really like the detective genre and just like I was looking forward to Death on the Nile from the moment I knew Kenneth Branagh was preparing for it. His portrayal of Hercule Poirot is great, as well as the film adaptation which is properly opulent and grandiose. But that is probably also a stumbling block. Although Agatha Christie's stories are detective at the highest level, they are still rather chamber matters. This is not entirely applicable here. You cannot take your eyes off the beautiful camera that realistically advertises Egypt in the 1930s. Similarly, the atmosphere of that time is great, although Kenneth Branagh could have toned down the amount of sexual tension a bit. The actors are a bit more complicated, mainly because you can see how theatrically they all overplay, in order to really irritate you (of course, except for Hercule Poirot, whose theatricality you will gladly forgive, as it somewhat belongs to him). Their roles, they were a plethora of unnecessary people. If the steamboat sank and everyone drowned together, nobody would actually care and the movie would end before anything even happened. The biggest surprise for me, however, was definitely Russell Brand, whom I didn't recognize until he spoke, and Emma Mackey, who reminded me a lot of Emma Stone. The film is definitely an interesting experience, but the older adaptations remain unmatched for me.
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Death on the Nile has always had a bit of something luxurious, fantastic, and amazing within it. The adaptation with Ustinov made the brand famous. Later there was a series with Suchet. And this year, we can tick off the excellent new version with Branagh, which I waited for during the entire pandemic. For a better experience, it was of course ideal to watch the new Murder on the Orient Express (2017). I wish there were a few more wonderful feature films like this, because Branagh's relationship to the world of Agatha Christie is not only smart, but respectful and courageous at the same time. It offers eye-candy shots of the whole Nile cruise and directorial work with very interesting actors. In addition to the statuesque Gal Gadot, we get the classically perfect Annette Bening, the Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French duo…
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An extremely precisely executed whodunit, where I also experienced a rather strange and welcome paradox – I had not read the book and did not know the outcome, but I guessed the culprit quite soon after the fatal act, and it didn’t bother me at all and it didn’t seem like a weakness, but an intention, because Branagh wonderfully focuses the attention on the process of accumulating clues rather than deepening the mystery. Throughout the film, we’re almost completely aligned in our knowledge with Poirot, who sees or hears everything (and when he lies drunk outside the action, he hears everything from innocent and reliable witnesses) and we deduce with him – and can also suspect with him – who is behind everything, but concentrate only on finding the evidence scattered all over the mise-en-scène (or rather, missing from it – the red paint, the lost scarf), which the script brilliantly and rhythmically signifies, as well as the traditionally convoluted mutual past of the actors. Guessing the ending, then, isn't the film's fault, but perhaps its dominant feature – that it can be this entertaining and subtle just in the way it connects the viewer to the investigating protagonist (even emotionally, thanks to the framing prologue and epilogue) is something I really praise Kenneth for. Very nice visuals and great cinematography, which is equal to Steven Spielberg's works in the sophistication of space. I’m already looking forward to my impressions after a second screening. 90 %
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At times Death on the Nile looks like a modern theatre play, at times like a largely impressive colouring book, which is inappropriate for a film of this type. The whole thing is a little bit flat, sweaty, going for power, or rather for effect. Branagh's Poirot is OK, but the rest of the cast is mostly jerking and prancing around. What's missing are real visuals, decent camera work, real sets and, most importantly, a better plot.
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Perhaps I liked this even more than Orient Express. Branagh is excellent as Poirot and his black and white flashback is the most powerful scene of the entire movie. Although your can hear the paper rustling as for the detective crime plot, the acting ensemble gets the very most out of it. Emma Mackey is just fantastic. And we get to see Armie the Cannibal in his last role as well. Really, really good.
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