Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot is portrayed by Kenneth Branagh and he is supported by an ensemble cast. The Nile Island features a plot where the famous Belgian detective investigates a series of dubious murders in Egypt. Having been adapted from Christie’s 1937 novel, it is a continuation of the events that occur after Murder on the Orient Express with some characters coming back. Death on the Nile has rich production design and bold directing from Branagh, who continues to be outstanding both in front of and behind the camera. The killer isn’t hard to find but the tension never lets up for one moment due to its crisp pacing and solid character development.
There was this striking first scene in Death on the Nile which takes us back in time showing how Hercule Poirot (Branagh) grew up. Several decades later and living in London, famous detective visits jazz club where he enjoys music and devours sinful desserts. In fact, Poirot is mesmerized by Salome Otterborne (Sophie Okonedo) singing duets beautifully with her sultry voice; however, another beautiful woman steals his attention right away from her. Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot), heiress par excellence congratulates Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), her best friend on getting engaged to Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer).
A few weeks later, Poirot decided to take a vacation at Egyptian pyramids. He unexpectedly bumps into Bouc (Tom Bateman) along with his snobbish mother Euphemia (Annette Bening). They are marking Linnet Ridgeway’s wedding which as we guessed correctly will be done without any hiccups or glitches between them as husband and wife but unfortunately not so for some other people involved therein such as Jacqueline de Bellefort whose rage against nobody knows about yet except herself has driven her all over England until she finally catches up with them in Egypt. She goes to Simon and Linnet’s room without planning anything ahead. Concerned about her safety, Linnet asks Poirot if he can join them on their luxurious Nile cruise as part of the wedding party; after all, he notes that it seems the couple is surrounded by people who pretend to be loyal but are actually not.
Death on the Nile looks beautiful right down to its smallest details. Kenneth Branagh, his long-time production designer Jim Clay (Children of Men, Artemis Fowl) and cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (Thor, Cinderella) are at their best here. Both men have worked with Branagh on numerous films and will likely receive Oscar nominations for his upcoming film Belfast. While a freezing foggy London is contrasted against the burning desert and deadly happenings on a bustling river. Every frame of Death on the Nile surrounds you with an opulent world of lies and betrayal.
The body count is much higher than Murder on the Orient Express had been. Poirot wades through murky waters trying to separate truth from lies. Meanwhile, there’s a lot happening beneath the main storyline where other members in supporting casts engage in subterfuge for personal ends. This may seem far-fetched, but there is more going on than meets an eye [sic]. The plot will be familiar to older generations who already know it from earlier adaptations or even reading Christie’s novel itself while younger ones should put on their thinking caps and read between lines so as to solve this riddle just like Agatha Christie wanted us do each time we read her books . Though Death On The Nile adds some diversity in terms of race among cast members, yet nothing changes in the original resolution.
I was hooked from the beginning of Death on the Nile. It’s a riveting whodunit with good actors and top-notch production values. I only hope that Armie Hammer’s tabloid brouhaha doesn’t put anybody off going to see it. He blends in perfectly with other cast members. TSG Entertainment, Simon Kinberg, Mark Gordon Pictures, and Scott Free Productions are producing Death on the Nile. It will hit theaters on February 11th through 20th Century Studios.
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