The Mystery is DEATH ON THE NILE

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Kenneth Branagh and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is the journey of a lifetime for some and a mystery for others with DEATH ON THE NILE.

Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is living in 1937 London and at a club he meets friends Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo) and Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey). Jackie is thrilled when friend Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) enters the room and excited to tell her that she has found the man she is to marry in Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer).

Weeks later in Egypt, Poirot runs into friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) and his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening) and is invited to join them at a wedding. He is surprised to see it is Linnet and Simon! Among the guests as well are Linnet’s maid Louise (Rose Leslie), Salome and Rosalie (Letitia Wright), Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders) with nurse Mrs. Bowers (Dawn French), cousin Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal) and Doctor Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand).

An uninvited guest appears sending the newly married couple into a frenzy – it is the jilted Jackie. Looking to find a way to get away from Jackie, Linnet takes the whole wedding group on board the S.S. Karnak and try to sail as far away from her as possible. On their way, they top to Abu Simbel and stories begin to unfold. Bouc is in love with one of the passengers, Poirot is very interested in Salome and by the time they all return to the boat after an excursion, Jackie is on board the boat.

Informing Poirot that they have decided to leave the boat, Linnet and Simon attempt to ignore Jackie. That is until Simon loses his temper, but it is Jackie that fires the shot. Wounding him the boat is now in chaos, but the next morning brings even more chaos as a death and a missing necklace on the Nile puts Poirot’s detective skills into high gear.

Keeping everyone on the boat, Poirot goes person by person to see what else he can uncover about the truths everyone seems eager to hide from him. Clearly, they have never met anyone like Hercules Poirot!

Branagh as Poirot spend most of the beginning of the film watching – people, events, body language and the way they all speak to one another. Once the chaos on the Nile begins to happen, he finds his voice and does not hesitate to speak his mind or ask the tough questions. I have always been a Branagh fan as he continues to act and create (watch BELFAST) such interesting characters and stories. Well done.

Gadot as Linnet knows she has hurt her friend by marrying her man, but it is also maddening that Jackie continues to stalk her. She gives us a beautiful woman who is living in fear until fear catches up with her. Hammer as Simon tosses Jackie pretty quickly when he meets the beautiful Linnet. Hammer gives us a charming and dapper character who has secrets of his own.

Mackey as Jackie is giving us full on psycho crazy lady but with beautiful clothes and a belief that Simon is still in love with her – but is he? Okonedo as Salome is a mysterious woman who does not hold back her feelings or how she sees things. Wright as Rosalie is equally free with her thoughts, especially when it comes to her love Bouc. As Rosalie, Wright is lovely and fiery.

Bateman as Bouc is thrilled to see his old friend in Egypt and he wants to be with his lady so much, even if his mother does not approve. Bateman gives us the romance of love, until it stops. Bening as Euphemia has a bit of bite in her attitude making it clear that everything is not as smooth as the paint on her brushes.

Brand as Dr. Linus has a chance to not only change his appearance but play a serious role. He knows the stories of the passengers and sees the worse of them all. Leslie as Louise once again puts on a servant’s apron, but it is so good to see her.

Fazal, French and Saunders offer up an opportunity to have Poirot discover their secrets as well and it is up to him to decide if they are guilty.

Other cast include Rick Warden as Monsieur Blodin, Adam Garcia as Syd, Susannah Fielding as Katherine, Orlando Seale as Captain Rens, Charlie Anson as Sgt. Verhaeren, and Michael Rouse as Private Laurin.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

The Special Features include Death on the Nile: Novel to Film, Agatha Christie: Travel Can Be Murder, Design of the Nile, Branagh Poirot and Deleted Scenes.

DEATH ON THE NILE is a who-done-it one moment of chaos after another. Surrounded by the beauty of the Nile, it takes Poirot to pour water over the mystery to make clear what has happened to those on the ship.

The film is more than one mystery but instead an unraveling of things people want to hid, their feelings which they refuse to admit and knowing that money really is the root of their evil.

In the end – murder was just the beginning!