A HAUNTING IN VENICE

This is the third film starring Kenneth Branagh as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, following 'Murder on the Orient Express' and 'Death on the Nile', all three being directed by Branagh and written by Michael Green.

I haven't seen the earlier two films which received a somewhat muted response from the critics, despite all-star casts. I don't imagine that they did anything very interesting with what is familiar material given that both source novels were given the big film treatment in the 1970s.

Maybe as a response to the critics, this film does break new ground. 

Firstly, although it is claimed to be a loose adaptation of a late Christie novel, 'Halloween Party', I think it is so removed as to constitute an original story. 

Secondly, it is presented to us as more of a supernatural thriller than as a straightforward murder mystery. 

I have to say that the screenplay is pretty damn good.  The underlying plot is of course somewhat unbelievable (as is requisite in these things) but it is good enough to more than pass muster as a Christie original.  But the real cleverness is the way the murder mystery is  is concealed within the supernatural storyline so as to keep us wrongfooted, as indeed it seems Poirot is at times.

Although in the end there is a rational real-world explanation for everything there is still an enjoyable otherworldly quality to the whole affair.

Most of the cast was unfamiliar to me, except for Tina Fey who has some fun as Ariadne Oliver, a recurring Christie character.  She lightens the mood, and her relationship with Poirot is an interestingly competitive and feisty one.

RATING: ✓ Cheers

Postscript: I subsequently listened to an episode of ‘The Swinging Christies’ podcast which discussed this adaptation of the 1969 novel.  The hosts made some interesting points:

 -     the novel was shocking because a young child is murdered, which is changed in the film;

 -    a horror film aficionado would find the horror elements in this adaptation rather tame and uninteresting;

 -    Branagh as director does a poor job of laying out the geography of the house where the story is set;

-     it’s unlikely that Halloween parties were a thing in 1947 Italy - why not incorporate some  Italian traditions instead?