You can't go wrong with a classic crime novel, and there's none more classic than author Agatha Christie , the undisputed queen of the genre. The formula Christie practically invented, in which a clever detective identifies a murderer among a group of suspects with equally legitimate motives, has been replicated for decades in popular culture, from the board game Cluedo to TV series such as Criminal Minds , to the recent box office hit Knives Out . If there's one thing audiences can't get enough of, it's whodunit .
Despite the success of Knives Out , the genre is not always successful, as evidenced by the poor critical and commercial success of the adaptation of Christie's novel Murder on the Orient-Express , directed in 2017 by Kenneth Branagh and adapted by Michael Green, starring Branagh as famed detective Hercule Poirot. Even if the reception of this film was mixed, Branagh and Green returned to the sources by offering us another famous mystery of Christie, Death on the Nile. Both movies share surprisingly similar storylines, involving a group of wealthy travelers, all of whom become suspects when someone is murdered, and Poirot is thankfully there to solve the crime in both cases. The only real difference is that one takes place on a train, and the other on a ship. And, like Murder on the Orient Express , Death on the Nileis also preceded by a much-loved 1978 film version, directed by John Guillermin and featuring an all-star cast including Mia Farrow, Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, David Niven, Jack Warden, George Kennedy and Peter Ustinov as the famous Poirot, a role Ustinov played to great acclaim throughout his career. While it's unfair to compare Branagh 's current adaptation to that 1978 film, it's also impossible not to, especially considering how bland and unimaginative this current adaptation is, a disappointing waste. of great distribution and even better source material.
Under the spotlight
The real charm of a Christie detective story lies in its characters, usually characterized by eccentric personalities and wide discrepancies in social status. In Death on the Nile , set in 1937, all of the characters are related in some way to wealthy socialite Linnet Ridgeway, played by Gal Godot , who has invited a group of friends and associates to sail down the Nile in Egypt to celebrate her recent marriage to Simon Doyle, played by Armie Hammer . The group includes Bouc ( Tom Bateman ), playboy friend Euphemia ( Annette Bening ), Bouc's wealthy mother Louise ( Rose Leslie ), American socialite Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders ) and her nurse, Miss Bowers ( Dawn French ), Dr. Windlesham ( Russell Brand ), Linnet's ex-boyfriend, and Katchadourian ( Ali Fazal ), her cousin and associate. Last-minute guests include blues singer Salome Otterbourne ( Sophie Okonedo ) and her niece Rosalie ( Letitia Wright ), as well as Poirot, whom Linnet begs to join their trip in order to watch over the jealous ex-girlfriend of Simon, Jacqueline ( Emma Mackey), who found a way to crash the party and get a ticket for the cruise. Linnet worries that Jacqueline is so mad that Simon married her that she might hurt them. Poirot agrees to join the trip to keep an eye on Jackie. But as the boat descends the Nile, it turns out Jackie isn't the only one with motive for wanting Linnet dead. So when Linnet is murdered, Poirot has his work cut out to find the culprit.
What is most surprising about this film is how far it falls short of expectations . With the story and the characters already set in stone, the only creative challenges that remained concerned the means of production, the acting of the actors and the choices of direction. Unfortunately, this movie fails in almost every way. The performances are really very uneven, with the best coming from Okonedo and Bateman , the only actors who seem comfortable. Fazal and Leslie play their characters to the letter, and Mackey manages not to overdo it. Branagh challenges preconceived types by entrusting toSaunders , French and Brand , three famous British comedians, decidedly unfunny roles, which work much better for Saunders and French than for Brand , who looks pained for most of the film. In his effort to be taken seriously, he overloads himself, making his character far too stiff and forced. Beningis the one who seems to be the most comfortable here, but she still doesn't seem to know exactly what tone to adopt, oscillating between ignorance and cruelty. Hammer plays his character with a mean and slippery bent, trying way too hard to be charming and coming across as more sleazy than sexy. The most disappointing performances came from Gadot and Wright , both of whom struggled to find their footing. As for Branagh , who cast himself as Poirot, his performance is far too complacent and serious .stripping all the charm and humor from the character in a reckless attempt to create a backstory for the character that takes away all the fun, a choice that reflects more ego than art.
Under the fire of cancel culture .
But even with a film that may lackluster performances and ineffective directing, a big-budget studio film like this should make up for its shortcomings with solid set pieces. The setting of Egypt and the Nile alone is rich in potential, the mixture of sand and water, the heat of the desert and the coolness of the river and the historical monuments, and yet, the too sanitized work of the film subverts any real sense of place . The boat looks like a freshly built set, characterless, ageless, with no wear and tear from sandstorms or time, and the lack of sweat or dirt only adds to the fakeness of the whole thing. Some digital effects look unfinishedor just plain lazy, because it's impossible to imagine anyone believing that this film was shot anywhere other than in a studio, in front of a green screen. If this practice is common in the cinema, it is rare that it is so obvious. The score, signed Patrick Doyle, is too oriented and the photography of Haris Zambarloukos does not inspire, despite the enticing possibilities of the decor. Most disappointing is Branagh 's lack of panache as a director, especially since his most recent film, Belfast , is currently considered an Oscar favorite in every category. Branagh is obviously a talented filmmaker, which makes the utter inertia displayed inDeath on the Nile even more puzzling.
There's no doubt that Branagh hopes to continue directing Christie-style mysteries and portraying Poirot in many more films. But if he doesn't find a way to inject more style, creativity and craftsmanship into his future movies than he does in Death on the Nile , it'll be a bad idea for anyone looking for a solid, evasive, quality entertainment, and a big disappointment for all true fans of the detective genre.
Death on the Nile at the cinema on February 09, 2022.
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