Kenneth Branagh is a filmmaker you've probably heard a fair deal about lately, as his relatively new film, Belfast, has been met with numerous nominations at all the big awards ceremony and will, presumably, be the winner of many too. However, the release of this film and all the discussion sparked a different thought in my mind, that being me remembering that we're still yet to see his second round as Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile. This is another one of those films that saw an extreme delay in its release due to the pandemic, and I think it's probably the last of the initial bunch to finally hit the big screen. I may well be forgetting something, but we'll find out whether that's the case as the year goes on.
I wasn't highly anticipating this film, but I was still very keen to see it. Murder on the Orient Express from 2017 was a film I enjoyed, albeit one I haven't revisited since seeing it in the cinema all those years ago. One thing I distinctly remember was Kenneth Branagh, who not only directed the film, playing Poirot with an absolutely bonkers moustache, which combined with his scenery-chewing take on the character all the more entertaining. Additionally, I always enjoy a murder mystery, so I feel there was plenty convincing me to go out and catch this.
In the film, Hercule Poirot's holiday in Egypt is disrupted as he accompanies a newlywed couple on a private river cruise along the Nile. Things get worse and his detective skills are put to the test when a passenger on board is killed and the murderer needs to be identified.
Like before, the best part of the film is Branagh. He's just so much damn fun as Poirot and he has some really hilarious lines, so seeing him navigate another mystery was inherently enjoyable. Additionally, he's once again accompanied by a solid ensemble. The standout for me was Emma Mackey as Jacqueline de Bellefort; I always enjoyed her as Maeve in Sex Education, and it's really nice to see her have such a prominent role in a big film like this. I really hope this gives way for more great stuff from her.
Much of the film was well crafted; the production design and costumes were all very slick and made the film visually pleasing, though I do think it relied a little too much on noticeable CGI and green screen a lot of the time. Watching the film so close to Branagh's Belfast has made me realise just how distinct all his films are. It may well just be me, but I feel there's little cohesion across his filmography as a director. If you put Thor, a big-budget Marvel movie, Cinderella, a live-action Disney remake, Belfast, a black and white indie drama, and this film along with Murder on the Orient Express in a room together, I'd have a hard time telling you they were all helmed by the same person. I suppose they're all very slick and stylish from a production standpoint, but that's sort of where it ends for me.
Narratively, parts of it did drag a bit. I feel like it took a little while to properly get going, as the plot isn't set in motion until around the forty-five minute or maybe even the one hour mark, which made much of the first and part of the second act a little dull. Additionally, once the main part of the plot is set in motion, it does feel repetitive in places as it goes through the usual whodunnit structure of going from one suspect to another and analysing their motives, which kept the film from being completely engaging. However, I was always interested overall as the general prospect of finding out how the intricate plot has panned out was enough for me despite the sections where I somewhat zoned out. I did enjoy the plot and thought it was quite unpredictable, though that's probably more to the credit of Agatha Christie's original book, which I haven't read, than it is to the film.
As a whole, I enjoyed Death on the Nile. It isn't the most engaging film but Kenneth Branagh being back in this role was a delight and everything around him was executed sufficiently. So, I had a good time. I can't really say if it's any better / worse than Murder on the Orient Express as it's been so long since I saw that film, but from what I remember, this is about on the same level of quality, so if you enjoyed that film, then I'd recommend this, but if you didn't, I doubt this will do much for you.
I'm going to give Death on the Nile a 7.0/10
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