CAST: Kenneth Branagh,Gal Gadot, Arnie Hammer, Sophie Okonedo, Letitia Wright, Emma Mackey,Tom Bateman, Annette Bening,Ali Fazal, Russell Brand, Rose Leslie, Jennifer Saunders,Dawn French
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
BLUF
A star studded cast and a murder mystery to solve. But then where there is Hercule Poirot, can a murder not happen in his vicinity.
After 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, to sell Agatha Christie’s master sleuth Hercule Poirot, Kenneth Branagh is back with his attempt at recreating an Agatha Christie Universe with Death on the Nile.
THE MEAT AND THE POTATOES
The movie starts with a dramatic, black-and-white portrayal of the young Poirot in the trenches of World War I establishing the back story of his marvelous mustache and the reason why he is so sharp and smart.
Then fast forward to London in 1937 where Poirot enters a packed blues club, where Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo) is performing on stage. Her niece, Rosalie Otterbourne ( Letitia Wright), is Salome’s manager. Simon Doyle (Arnie Hammer) and his effervescent fiancée, Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), are burning the floor with a sensual dance.
Linnet Ridgeway (Gadot) enters the smoky club, in a drapey, metallic silver gown, so marvelous and velvety that it is this scene you will go home with. Arnie Hammar as Simon Doyle does remind you of the allegations of sexual misconduct that surrounded him, however there is zero sizzle between him and Gadot on screen and that’s a visual dampener.
Jacqueline introduces Simon to her childhood friend Linnet and then voila Simon and Linnet are married, and Poirot finds himself swooped in their stylish honeymoon celebration on the Nile while vacationing in a CGI Egypt.
Who else is on this vacation?
Bouc (Tom Bateman, reenacting his “Orient Express” role), with his wealthy, painter mother, Euphemia (Annette Bening), Linnet’s lawyer/cousin Katchadourian (Ali Fazal); her ex-fiancé (Russell Brand); her personal maid (Rose Leslie); and her godmother( Jennifer Saunders with her traveling nurse( Dawn French). Have we finished naming half of Beverly Hills? We guess so.
And then the murder happens and that is the rest of the whodunit for the savoring of Poirot.
IN THE KNOW
The glittering cast of “Death on the Nile” is all dressed up but, seems they have nowhere to go. They all look beautiful and the CGI locations quite magnificent, but the story takes too long to take off.
Orient Express writer Michael Green readapts the screenplay but with some tweaks.
Most A list competent actors like Brand, Fazal, French, and Leslie have real small roles. Gadot gadots.
“Death on the Nile” looks pointless and synthetic—a shiny, CGI- version of otherwise reasonably magnificent and extraordinary sights.
WHAT WE LOVED
Gadot
Argh thinking of what else
WHAT WE MISSED
Long, winding, boring
