Death on the Nile

A throwback to a time when the world of cinema was still okay. When films had nice sets and weren't bogged down with CGI junk, when directors weren't afraid to slowly and patiently build atmosphere and tell a story, and when scripts had substance. Kenneth Branagh clearly didn’t take any notes, and neither, apparently, did the actress of only two expressions, Gal Gadot. P.S. I was very pleasantly surprised by Angela Lansbury, I would not have expected her to play a role so expressively and with gusto. (21.08.2023)

Hercule Poirot's series of films with Ustinov has always been interesting. In the beginning, there was this magnificent affair set on the Nile. The original 1937 novel offered an ideal combination of interesting characters and exotic settings, making it great material for a cohort of wonderful actors in a captivating setting that was heightened by the colorful wide angle shots. Of the younger generation, Jane Birkin and Lois Chiles shine, and best of all was the bickering duo of Bette Davis and Maggie Smith. Angela Lansbury played perfect comic etudes and Mia Farrow was, as always, particularly ethereal. The original strength of this version is probably the ending, in which each of the hypotheses is played out in a separate scene. However, all three transcripts are worthy of note. (23.01.2017)

I didn't believe that this story could engage me, at least partly because it's familiar, and also because it's presented in over two hours. However, this array of great actors is so dazzling, and Agatha Christie's story is still so great, that by the end, I hardly even flinched, even though I knew how it would end. (01.11.2016)