Murder on the Orient Express (re) introduced Hercule Poirot, detective extraordinaire, to the world in 2017 to critical and commercial success. Directed by Kenneth Branagh (a recent Oscar winner for Belfast), he would also star as Poirot and if they gave Oscars for Best Mustache in a Feature Film, he would have swept awards season. Branagh was also impeccable as the Belgian sleuth and now he is back and cruising down the Nile.
Death on the Nile is out now on DVD, Blu-ray, and various digital mediums and finds Poirot on a luxurious boating jaunt down the titular Egyptian river. He’s connected in some way (no spoilers here) to the bride and groom, (Linnet Ridgeway and Simon Doyle, played by Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer), who have taken their closest friends and confidants on their Honeymoon to bask and share in their love and happiness.
This is a Christie novel, so the “M” word is probably going to ruin someone’s honeymoon and that is exactly what occurs, on the luxury steamer no less. Everyone on board is a suspect and as a web woven as only the author could, double-crosses, intrigue and an engrossing mystery ensue.
Someone is murdered and it’s anyone’s guess who committed the crime. Lucky for us, Poirot, labeled “the world’s greatest detective,” is on the ship and no one is getting off or on until he cracks the case.
Branagh and the film’s screenwriter, Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049), were quite loyal to the adored 1937 Christie penned novel. There are a few alterations, but they work for cinematic reasons. As such, the blueprint was clearly the book, and Branagh and Green let the late writer’s work lead them in crafting a film that celebrates the mystery maven and her utter brilliance.
<iframe width="753" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dZRqB0JLizw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>The all-star ensemble is impressive. Just like the 1979 film, huge talents and internationally known thespians comprise the cast. The thing is the material is so rich it doesn’t matter how big or small the part is—there is so much to sink your teeth into as an artist playing a role in the conjuring of a Christie murder mystery that some probably said yes without even having read the script. Joining Branagh, Gadot, and Hammer are Annette Bening, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Letitia Wright, and Russell Brand.
We’ve got beautiful people with the backdrop of magnificent settings (captured impeccably by cinematographer Simon Doyle) with a truly baffling murder mystery at its center and it all adds up to a surprisingly taut trip. What Doyle achieved alone is worth the price of admission. The longtime Branagh collaborator began their cinematic tethering with Thor, and it has carried through the filmmaker’s work from Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, to Cinderella and Belfast).
Doyle has not been given a canvas to work with as stunning to the eye as what surrounds the Nile as the DP manages to do something extraordinary and incredibly rare—have a film serve as a beautiful and perfect tease to a locale where the narrative of said movie surrounds a murder!
As it has become common knowledge, in the world of Christie, luxurious vacations tend to lead to someone or several folks dying. The featurette Agatha Christie: Travel Can Be Murder does a stellar job of paralleling the author’s admiration of travel, most notably—Egypt. What else is striking about this featurette is that it paints a picture of a legacy that shows no signs of fading with the passage of time. Whether through the pages she wrote, or the films based on them, millions upon millions have shared the joy that only Christie can bring with her work.
Death on the Nile: Novel to Film puts the spotlight on how Branagh and Green worked alongside Christie’s estate to add a new wrinkle to this web of intrigue cruising down the Nile.
Producers smartly included a featurette on Branagh, entitled Branagh/Poirot. This extra takes us behind the scenes to witness the artist, supremely formidable mustache living its best life right above the actor’s lips while he directs. The manner with which Branagh is able to switch on a dime from thespian to film director further illustrates why he is such a legend.
There is a slew of deleted scenes featured that truly take us inside the mind of the filmmaker as to what he felt was important to include and more importantly, what not to include. Those deleted scenes are The Market, Poirot’s Cabin, Rosalie and Bouc Outside Temple, Windlesham Jogging, Poirot Discusses Case, Poirot and Bouc Approach Jackie, Confronting Bouc and the Otterbournes, and Poirot Orders Books.
Lastly, dive into Design on the Nile, which focuses on the visual stand-out of Branagh’s latest work. From the landscape settings, the way it was shot, to the designing of the costumes and building of the sets, this featurette keenly shows how one thread united all those above departments—their mission in insisting that every facet of this production have “the Agatha Christie touch.”
Film Grade: B
Bonus Features: B+