Kenneth Branagh. © 2023 20th Century Studios, Kinberg Genre, The Mark Gordon Company, TSG Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, and Agatha Christie Limited. Directed by Kenneth Branagh.
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Watched it in Dolby Cinema @ AMC Theaters
Death Was Only The Beginning... Murder cases never finish but for detective Hercule Poirot, this might be his final case. This is Kenneth Branagh's next entry in the Agatha Christie's book series and it's follow up from the unfortunate disappointing Death on the Nile. Branagh takes the series in a new direction with spooky horror and witchcraft elements. How did it end up? This new direction really made up for the previous entry and went back to basics on why the first film in the series was actually good. Join me to visit Venice and see how the murder unfolds during Halloween. Story: In 1947, former detective Hercule Poirot, now retired and living in Venice, must solve the year-old murder of a guest at a séance he attends. The events take place on the eve of Halloween in a palazzo that was an ancient orphanage with a history of ghosts and murders according to the family living in the house. Right away, the film is a huge step up from the previous entry and one of those elements was the presentation. The film is shot in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio from the standard cinemascope from the previous two films. This decision is great because it allows the horror ambiance in the film to feel more real and it's a good change within Branagh's series of films. It feels more alive and it allows the cinematography of the film to feel more expressive and up-close. Speaking of cinematography, this is easily his best-looking film in this series and probably since Thor which speaks a lot. I will also include Belfast because it's a different approach in his directing style but that film felt more personal. The cinematography is more vibrant with a lot of creative angles and shots that create the personality of this film. Even the coloring is a vast improvement from the previous entry. The sound design here is honestly pretty good. If it spooked me with its ambiance and jump scares, it did its job correctly. The production here is also pretty solid and it takes place all in one location but it's much smaller now which is an interesting directing move. One of the elements I was worried about was the editing and pacing of this film. Well, surprise, surprise, the pacing was quicker and the editing was also a vast improvement. Overall, the production of the technical elements of the film was a huge improvement and the film was finally not boring which is a major positive from the last film. Well, how about the story? I'm glad to report that it's definitely an engaging one.
The story is again simple but the one thing I was worried about would be it's execution. Since the story went towards a horror route, I thought it would be cheap and just test the waters. However, Branagh didn't go for a cheap horror route, rather, he experimented with the horror genre mixed in with mystery and it worked well. There were some jump scares for sure but the horror ambience was very much present in the film. The plot is shorter now with this entry being the shortest film clocking in at one hour and forty-three minutes long. It didn't waste it's time to get right into the mystery and I'm happy that it stayed that way. There were barely any filler sub-plots in the film and it was kept central between Branagh's character and the supporting characters. Detective Hercule Poirot's character development was more clear and interesting this time around. We got to see his old detective skills back in use but the challenges present were more engaging, especially within the horror aspects Branagh is aiming for. The side characters were also pretty good and improved as well. The stand-out would be Kyle Allen as Maxime Gerard. I really enjoyed his performance and Tine Fey was a nice addition to the main supporting cast. In terms of character work, it was decent. Overall, the plot was a step-up from the bland second entry in the Hercule Poirot series but there were still flaws that were carried over from the previous two entries.
Throughout the trilogy, one of the constant flaws that is still affecting these films is the underdeveloped side characters, especially the smaller side characters. Even though they are present in the film, we wouldn't have time to see more of their personality and contribution to the main mystery. Also, the murderer in the film was so easy to figure out and it felt a bit cheap. While it's simple and straight to the point, I wish there was more creativity within the storytelling of the mystery, especially since Branagh is mixing it with horror elements. While the film is not boring, it can still be sidetracked for a moment and some moments are sluggish. Some of the characters were pretty wasted which was disappointing. However, the final act of the film really started to turn its tables and it was the best part of the film. Definitely an improvement but it still has its old flaws as usual. If you are looking for a spooky time at the theaters, this is one of the good choices to watch in theaters during the Halloween season! This is a spooky film with solid directing, creative visuals, and an improved story that fans of the series will be happy about. You don't need to watch the other two films to understand the full story. It is its own thing and you will get into the world of Hercule Poirot in no time. Time for a cup of coffee in Italy! Now Playing Only in Theaters! Vizeit Score: "B-"
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Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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