Copyright Warner Bros
Death On The Nile
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer
Concept: Branagh adapted another Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot novel. Direct sequel of his first one, Murder On The Orient Express.
Disclaimer: This movie was finished or nearly finished when the Armie Hammer/cannibalism scandal broke. And... there was no way to remove him without reshooting the WHOLE movie.
Execution
Here we go...
Cast: Branagh as Hercule will always fascinate me. Even making that accent thick enough that when he gets emotional, it is hard to understand him. And that is beautiful. Armie Hammer makes a great Doyle. Gal Gadot is stunning and regal as Linnet Ridgeway. Supporting cast is pretty solid, and I give props to Letitia Wright for another great performance. Score: 19/20
Presentation: Visually stunning. The set pieces are near perfect, which is pretty great, since there aren't very many of them. Definitely a period piece as much as it is a literary piece. And... one of the low points I had with Murder On The Orient Express, the music. I noticed it this time. I wasn't trying to force it. It was just noticeable this time. And that is a positive in so many ways. I wouldn't listen to a soundtrack, but it sets the scenes and the mood so much more in this film. Score: 17/20
Chronicle: The opening scene giving a full backstory on Hercule's famed mustache and his love, Katherine... it was tragic. The over all story was more predictable than Murder. Which to be fair, isn't Branagh's fault. He adapts his movies to the source material pretty strictly. You won't know exactly how deep it goes, but you'll figure out the culprit(s) pretty easily. Doesn't hurt the story. Doesn't hurt the mystery. It is still very well done.
Of course, there are some small, inconsequential changes compared to the novel: subbing Tim Allerton out for Bouc made it more of a movie sequel, and Salome ends up not [redacted spoiler]. Score: 29/30
Impact: Once again, Branagh gives a masterclass in how to adapt a movie from source material. And I'm not just saying that because he is my favorite director. He is my favorite BECAUSE of that talent. It is why James Pritchard of Agatha Christie Limited trusted Branagh with these projects. The impact isn't just how he adapted the novel, but how a murder mystery movie should be build. Example... Rian Johnson's magnificent Knives Out... I think more original stories should manifest due to the success of Murder On The Orient, Death On The Nile, and Knives Out. We need more of these movies. Score: 20/20
Extra Oomph: This one... this one. We need to talk about one particular character. Lord/Doctor Windlesham. A well done adapted character. Throughout the movie, I kept seeing him... hearing him. And I thought he looked and sounded familiar, and I just couldn't figure out who it was. And this it hit me... it was RUSSELL BRAND. And he did a wonderful job. He was a main cast member, but dammit. I can't believe I didn't know it was him. Kenneth Branagh did something nearly impossible: he made me LIKE Russell Brand. To the point where I want Brand to tackle more serious roles. Score: 12/10
Final Score: 97/100
Final Grade: A+
Conclusion: Yes... it is a movie from my favorite director. But this movie is evidence of WHY he is my favorite director. A famous murder mystery getting adapted to make a beautiful movie filled with suspense and emotion.
It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...
FINAL JUDGMENT: If you like murder mystery movies, watch this movie. It is currently on HBO Max... if you have Max, you need to watch it. Did I say you should watch it? Watch it. It really is that good of a movie.
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There you go folks! Death On The Nile gets a 97!!!!
(Yes... I know... bonus points for making me like Russell Brand)
Have you seen it? What did you think? If you haven't, plan on watching it?
Comment and share.
Until next time...
Don't forget...
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