Many delays and several scandals after its initial 2020 release date, Kenneth Branagh’s second turn at directing and playing the iconic detective Hercule Poirot has finally hit theaters. This time, he’s trading the frigid, snow-covered Orient Express for a sunny, sandy Egyptian cruise. But the pieces remain, as ever, the same - There will be Poirot, there will be a murder (possibly more) and there will be an all-star cast of characters; each and every one a suspect.
To begin, like ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ before it, ‘Death on the Nile’ is simply gorgeous to look at. Haris Zambarloukos’ cinematography takes full advantage of the lavish production design and stunning scenery (though some CGI monuments are a bit obvious) to craft a vivid world worthy of the Golden-Age Hollywood era the story hails from. Under Branagh’s precise direction, the camera maneuvers around every angle and obstacle to ensure the frame is always interesting.
There is a lot more to directing than just moving the camera around, though, and the more intimate details of the role are too frequently overlooked in movies today. But Branagh excels at them, and they're on full display here. The blocking of each scene is deliberate and intentional, marked by direction that is carefully in tune with the time-honored staging tricks used to create tension and visualize suspicion on the stage and the screen. Contemporary film style all too frequently neglects this part of the process, but there’s a reason why these methods have been used for longer than movies have existed. It adds an air of emotional authenticity, making every moment meaningful to the motivation of the characters and the unraveling of the mystery.
Speaking of said devious characters, as in every new Poirot tale, we have a whole new ensemble to unpack. With the exception of Tom Bateman’s delightfully fun Bouc, Poirot is the sole familiar face booking passage on the Karnak for its voyage down the Nile. And for the movie’s marketing team, what an unlucky cast it turned out to be. In the timespan from filming to release, Russel Brand and Letitia Wright started pushing anti-vaccine narratives, Gal Gadot stirred online outrage over comments on Palestine and Armie Hammer turned out to be a sexual harasser and possible real-life cannibal.
Controversies aside, the cast assembled for the sequel is oddly far less sensational than ‘Orient Express,’ which boasted an ensemble so ridiculously loaded that Star Wars star Daisy Ridley was one of the less acclaimed members. With the exceptions of Gadot and Hammer, ‘Death on the Nile’ has a much more low-key lineup of suspects. And while you will never hear me badmouth character actors - especially in this genre, they can often outshine even the biggest star - that is sadly not the case here.
The performances aren’t bad (with the exception of Gadot, who is all over the place with her acting choices) but they simply aren’t memorable. The most interesting characters receive the least amount of screen time, and few manage to leave enough of an impression to ever be seen as reasonable suspects. The two outliers are Emma Mackey as vengeful, jilted lover Jacqueline de Bellefort and Sophie Okonedo as Salome Otterbourne.
Mackey shines in her big-screen Hollywood debut, growing up from the angsty, entrepreneurial high schooler Maeve Wiley in Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ to a fiery femme fatale. She absolutely captivates every second she’s on screen, managing to leverage her presence to steal the focus away from even a superstar like Gadot, making Hammer’s Simon Doyle look insane for choosing the bigger star with her awkward delivery over Mackey’s natural chemistry. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a new talent break out in such a big way, and I hope her agent is fielding many, many calls after this.
Okonedo, meanwhile, brings a very different type of energy to Salome, the aging jazz singer - a careful balance of a playful stage persona with a stern, commanding authority that makes her seem in control even when facing off with the world’s greatest detective. Branagh is Poirot and Poirot is, well, Poirot. That Okonedo is able to so ensnare him and make herself equal to his presence is perhaps the most impressive feat pulled off by anyone in the production. I certainly wouldn’t mind a few alterations to the Christie canon if it means getting her back in future installments.
In the end, while the parts of this case may be lesser than the debut installment, it’s still a case worth Poirot’s time, and yours. It was a cruelly fitting Valentine’s Day release, with themes of love and the cruel realities that sever it cutting through the plot like a bloody knife. In the first film, Poirot had his sense of morality shaken. Here, the writers have aimed for his heart and left him, and the audience, both broken and hopeful by the time they disembark.
So what are you waiting for? Book a ticket and climb aboard for a stylish throwback to the golden age of the great detectives!
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