- Date of Release: 11 February 2022
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Language: English
- Watch On: Hotstar
Death on the Nile
RATING
Introduction
After a small break yesterday, I am back with a fresh review. And with that I finished watching the English film Death On The Nile. The film will premiere this Friday on Hotstar but to lessen my weekend burden, I decided to wipe this one off my list. And it is based on a novel by Agatha Christie who is perhaps the greatest murder mystery novelist ever. And who wouldn’t enjoy a classic murder mystery which has a charm of its own especially when you are playing the guessing game yourself. The film also stars Ali Fazal and after Victoria and Abdul, I really wished to watch him in another Hollywood film given the talent that the man possesses. And to top it, the film is directed by Kenneth Branaugh who had directed one of my favourite films from last year, Belfast. So this film had a lot riding on it, does it then translate into a lip smacking affair, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Based on a novel by Agatha Christie, Death On The Nile follows the story of a detective who must investigate the murder of a young heiress. The story is absolutely fantastic given it comes from the “institute” of Agatha Christie but I was more interested in the screenplay. The screenplay is fairly good where the thrill of solving a classic murder case was evident but only later on in the film. I think this was the single drawback and a significant one that the film took a while to get to the point. And this included, a needless origin story cum flashback of the protagonist which didn’t quite add up to the overall proceedings. While the film opened on a good note(after the flashback), I really wished the writing was such that it should have picked up from the murder, only to piece the case with a series of flashbacks. Perhaps you can call it the millennial effect, but the one dimensional screenplay with a lot of buildup just made your thoughts waver a bit. But the fun begins at the halfway mark and soon the guessing game begins. As an audience, you are made to traverse multiple twists and turns leading up to the grand reveal which was a good one and quite satisfactory. So overall, the screenplay is good but still could have been better.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational and they will keep you engaged thereby managing to hold your attention. The BGM is decent. The cinematography is a little inconsistent with astounding images caught only to be balanced out with images which seem slightly fake. Director Kenneth Branaugh who had last directed Belfast has done a pretty good job here. Only thing being if the Hussle and excitement had begun early on in the first hour itself.
Performances
The performances are pretty good. Tom Bateman as Bouc has his moments to shine as does Rose Leslie as Louise and Lelita Wright as Rosalie. Ali Fazal as Andrew does a good job in a terribly underwritten role. Armie Hammer as Simon is phenomenal and does a brilliant job. Emma Mackey as Jacqualine is terrific herself and she definitely makes her presence felt. Gal Gadot as Linnet is charming but somehow she seemed like a bit of a miscast. Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot is brilliant in his acting duties as well and instantly makes a mark. All other performers do a pretty good job.
Conclusion
Death On The Nile is a decent attempt at creating a classic murder mystery which can be watched once. Available on Hotstar(from Friday).