Released: 11th February 2022 (UK and US)
Length: 127 Minutes
Certificate: 12A
Director: Kenneth Branagh,
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Arnie Hammer, Emma Mackey, Russel Brand, Tom Bateman, Russel Brand, Ali Fazal, Rose Leslie, Sophie Okonedo, Letitia Wright, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
Detective tales have been widely enjoyed in the literary scene; this quickly led to big-screen adaptations. When it came to updating the Agatha Christie series for a modern audience, Kenneth Branagh has taken on both acting and directing duties. Death On The Nile, the long-delayed second entry, has arrived and it ends up feeling weaker than the first.
Picking up shortly after the original, Detective Hercule Poirot (played by Branagh) observes a wealthy love triangle boil into jealously and resentment. Linnet (Gal Gadot) and Simon (Arnie Hammer) have recently gotten married, much to the displeasure of the groom’s former partner Jackie (Emma Mackey). She follows the couple to Egypt and Poirot is soon pressed into a new investigation. The group sets sail aboard the luxurious S.S Karnak and the tension continues to build, culminating in a fatality. The result is very similar to Murder on the Orient Express; Hercule conducts his investigation, interviewing each character in turn and finally deducing the truth in the climax. It’s every bit as chatty as the first film, only with a different setting and aesthetic. Its weakness is how it takes too long to get going; with two setup sequences in two different locations, almost half of the film’s runtime is dedicated to setting up before the mystery begins. The story also attempts to give Poirot a backstory with limited success; it opens with a brief World War One sequence that shows how the inspector took on his famous moustache. Sadly, this element doesn’t tie to the mystery very well and the effort to bring things full circle at the end rings hollow.
Death On The Nile features another highly talented cast; every member is well written and well portrayed throughout, their mannerisms colouring alibis and motives. While everyone claims to be friends of the bride and groom, they all have possible motives for murder. Dialogue is key and every conversation teases out their inner characteristics. Branagh leads the way once again with Poirot's clever deductions which are constantly on display. We have Russell Brand as a quiet doctor, Ali Fazal as the calculating lawyer, Rose Leslie a timid maid, Sophie Okonedo the sassy singer, Letitia Wright as her clever niece and the pairing of Annette Benning and Jennifer Saunders as two older commentators. Every character who takes the stage is well rounded and engaging, showing Branagh’s prowess at juggling multiple actors. The detective gets his own companionship with Tom Bateman’s Bouc, who is arguably the most likeable of the bunch. Like the last film, some characters receive more scree-time than others; here, the weakest link is Gal Gadot. Her performance is fairly standard, falling in line with previous blockbuster efforts.
The film is clearly aiming for a vibrant, picturesque look; like something you’d see on a postcard. It does succeed at this as the main setting glistens in the sun, creating an absorbing atmosphere. The costume design is on top form once again with a loving recreation of the 1930s. This is paired with traditional music that also sets the scene. However, the camerawork is questionable in many places. When the film isn’t using slow-moving establishing shots, the camera glides around the environment, attempting to create a dynamic feel. This works to its detriment and things are exacerbated by abrupt twists. Any violent moments are tempered as the film cuts away quickly from both injuries and killings; these clumsy edits stick out, dampening the otherwise lavish production values. Death On The Nile’s presentation is a tale of two halves; one that takes full advantage of modern filmmaking tech and another that muddies the image.
On its own, Death On The Nile is a competent murder mystery, but when stacked up with both its contemporaries and predecessor, it runs into trouble. The opening act goes on too long, the camerawork is chaotic and inconsistent and the side thread added to the famous detective doesn’t do anything meaningful. If you’re looking for a lavish, modern adaptation of a classic novel you’ll get it, but not much else.
Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)
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