It is A HAUNTING IN VENICE

 

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray, Digital and Hulu from director Kenneth Branagh and 20th Century Home Entertainment is the next mystery to be solved with A HAUNTING IN VENICE.

Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has been living quietly in retirement in the city of Venice along with bodyguard Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio). On what he thinks is a Halloween outing with writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), they end up at a séance in the home of Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) the famous opera singer. What ends up happening is that Poirot can not stop himself from exposing medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh).

Actually, the house itself is supposedly haunted by children who suffered under its roof. Reynolds picks up on it but no one is happy except Rowena who wants to communicate with her daughter Alicia in the afterlife. Also, there is Maxime Gerard (Kyle Allen) who broke her heart. Also attending is housekeeper Olga (Camille Cottin), family physician Dr. Ferrier (Jamie Dornan) and his young son Leopold (Jude Hill) and Desdemona Holland (Emma Laird). 

Before there is communication, Poirot begins to tear the séance apart and while some are upset, Reynolds doesn’t seem bothered by it at all. What happens next is Alicia’s voice accusing someone in the room of murder! But, as with Poirot, murder in the house begins to set him on the trail of what it happening in the house – and to him hearing strange voices.

Nothing will stop Poirot from chasing down the murderer as one by one he questions everyone in the room. Clue after clue puts him out of retirement and back in the game.

Branagh as Poirot gets the grand opportunity to give life to one of Agatha Christie’s most memorable detectives. I enjoy watching him jump from clue to clue (be careful of the accent slip Mr. Branagh) and the response from his fellow characters. I am a total fan of period pieces so it is fun to watch the set and cinematography also play a part in the film at his direction.

Fey as Oliver wants to get Poirot out of the house and back into life. Taking him to the séance was suppose to be a success but instead, she got the detective she remembers so well. Fey is charming and equally as witty as Poirot. Reilly as Drake portrays a mother who wants nothing more than to speak with her departed daughter. What is so great about her in this role is I don’t see the viciousness of Beth from the series ‘Yellowstone’ but instead a stealthy character with her own secrets.

Yeoh as Joyce does not have a big role but it is one that sets the stage for everything that comes after. Yeoh is so good at this so its easy to see why she was chosen to be part of the séance and the conversation with Poirot. Allen as Gerard has a history with the family and he wants to make sure he gets answers as well. Cottin as Olga knows the ins and outs of the house and is loyal – almost to a fault.

Dornan as Dr. Ferrier is trying to keep things together but raising a young son on his own is difficult. Keeping his job with at the Drake home is important but can be deadly as well. Hill as Leopold is a very, very smart little boy who is not scared by much and he clearly loves his father. Hill is an impressive young actor and I do so hope he is recognized for this role and goes on to do much more.

Other cast include Ali Khan as Nicholas Holland and Emir El-Masry as Alessandro Longo.

Twentieth Century Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.20thcenturystudios.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Features include Murder, Death and Haunting: Discover The secrets behind the scenes of A HAUNTING IN VENICE. Join Kenneth Branagh and his team as they bring Agatha Christie’s classic Poirot novel ‘Hallowe’en Party’ to life with elaborate ensemble scenes and extravagant sets. Deleted Scenes include Morning Route, The Doge’s Palace, Halloween Party Extended, Desdemona’s Warning, Children’s Story, Poirot Needs Air, Guarding the Gates, Secret Doorway Extended, Ferrier’s Shouts, Poirot Pauses for Thought and Journey Home.

A HAUNTING IN VENICE comes out around the spooky season and gives enough frights and twists of its own. It is a fun film to watch if you love a good murder mystery surrounded by musty colors and finery. The sets and cinematography are one of my favorites about the film. The noir-feel with handle bar mustaches and smart suits along with the fashionable women looking lovely as every is very cool.

Pop the popcorn, turn out the lights and go on a murder mystery with one of the finest retired detectives ever.

In the end – death is just the beginning!

 

 

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!

Their Life Began in BELFAST

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from writer/director Kenneth Branagh and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment tells one story of a family in BELFAST.

It is 1969 Belfast, Northern Ireland, and young Buddy (Jude Hill) is living his best childhood playing in the streets with friends. At home is Ma (Caitriona Balfe), Granny (Dame Judy Dench), Pop (Ciaran Hinds) and Will (Lewis McAskie). Pa (Jamie Dornan) is away most of the time working at a job in England.

This is a time of unrest as Protestants begin to attack Catholics on the same street where Buddy and his family live. The young man is busy with his feelings about classmate Catherine and how he can move his seat up closer and closer to hers. He also has to worry about Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan) who is making it clear he will make trouble for Buddy’s Pa if he does not join the cause.

Buddy finds support and love with grandparents Granny and Pop who keep him focused. They also share in the family life and love being with their grandson Buddy. Getting tips and words of wisdom from both, Buddy cannot imagine life without them.

Pa wants to do what is best for his family and that means thinking about leaving Belfast which is met with resistance. Buddy is upset and falls into family friend Moira’s (Lara McDonnell) plot to steal. It gets even worse when riots break out and she once again grabs him for trouble. Ma jumps into the madness but the British Army arrives and now the family knows what must be done.

That is their world in Belfast.

Hill as Buddy is a young boy who is happy playing with his friends, going to school and spending time with his grandparents. Knowing that things are difficult in Belfast, he also knows that things are difficult for his parents with money and being apart. This character learns early about the tax man and the fight against Catholics, which is devastating since the girl he cares for is Catholic. Hill gives us all a look inside the life of this young man with all the emotions of a boy his age and some emotions that are much older than needs be. I loved his performance.

Balfe as Ma has a clear set of rules in the house and the behavior she expects from her children. Raising them to be good people, she is also trying to keep them alive during a time that is deadly and dangerous. Balfe gives us a strong character that believes in family and loyalty. Dornan as Pa must leave his family for weeks at a time to take care of them financially. He also believes that leaving Belfast is the only way to save them from what is happening on the streets. Dornan gives his character a love of family trying to find the balance that will keep them together.

Dench as Granny has me in stiches with her views on life and relationship with Buddy. There is one particular scene where she broke my heart because I could not imagine ever having to do what she does with such grace. Hinds as Pop is equally as lovely with his wit, stories and knowing that Pa has to do what is right and not to look back. There is such a strong connection between Buddy and his grandparents, and it brings back personal memories.

Morgan as Clanton is determined to bring Pa into things that not only could get him killed but hurt his family as well. Morgan’s character brings fear to Buddy which follows the young boy around like a weighted backpack. McAskie as Will also sees what is happening and finds it difficult to know how to handle it all.

Other cast include Olive Tennant as Catherine, Gerard Horan as Mackie, Josie Walker as Aunt Violet, Turlough Convery as the Minister, Vanessa Ifediora as Miss Lewis, Conor MacNeill as McLaury, Drew Dillon as Mr. Kavanagh, and Gerard McCarthy as Bobby Frank.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bluray and Digital Bonus Features include Alternate Ending featuring Kenneth Branaugh (which is so touching), Deleted Scenes, A City of Stories: The Making of BELFAST, Everyone’s Inner Child and Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Kenneth Branagh.

BELFAST has been nominated for over 230 awards include seven Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, eleven Critic’s Choice Awards and fourteen Best Picture nominations as well as PGA and DGA Awards nominations for director Kenneth Branagh.

The music is absolutely stunningly placed in the film with Belfast born musician Van Morrison.  Song such as Wild Night, Stranded, Days Like This, Warm Love, and Jackie Wilson Said add to the richness of the story and, I must admit, I am a huge Van Morrison fan.

BELFAST is such a lovely, heartbreaking, funny, real look at a time that is captured by director Branagh. It is the young Hill who draws the viewer in and his family that makes us want to stay. It is a story of a young boy who comes to understand adulting way to soon and it is a story of a generational family trying their best.

The director not only dabs color that are brilliantly placed in the black and white film but ends it with the heartfelt “For the ones who stayed. For the ones who left. And for all the ones who were lost.”, and I felt that, deeply.

In the end – never forget where you came from!

DUNKIRK is Astounding!

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from writer/director Christopher Nolan and Warner Brothers is a story that tells of the dangers, the ravages and the bravery of those at DUNKIRK.

Let’s begin with a tad bit of history behind the film’s story. It is World War II in 1940 and the Germans have pushed their soldiers into Northern France and Belgium. Allied forces are trapped on the beach as bombardment comes from both land and sea. There are almost 400,000 troops on the shores with no where to go.

The larger military vessels were under constant attack and sunk with devastating losses of life. Across the channel were smaller boats consisting of fishing boats, merchant marines, personal boats, speed boats, ferry’s and even life boats that took to the call to rescue soldiers. Over 800 of these boats made it to the beaches of Dunkirk and a mass evacuation would come to be known as the Miracle of Dunkirk.

Christopher Nolan has brought this incredible story to the screen and it is grand, beautiful and heart stopping. The audience is taken into the story from land, air and sea as filming began in Dunkirk, France. In his style, DUNKIRK is filmed in IMAX 70 mm film with the score of the incredible Hans Simmer.

On the beach, Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) is the ranking officer attempting to get the men off the beaches of Dunkirk along with Colonel Winnart (James D’Arcy). As each ship leaves, it is met with either U-boat fire or planes dropping artillery either killing the men or putting them back in the water.

Soldiers Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) and Alex (Harry Styles) attempt time and time again to find a way off the beach. Finally making it onto a ship, they do not get far before they are back in the water and headed to shore where bombs are going off.

In the air is Collins (Jack Lowden) and Farrier (Tom Hardy), two Royal Air Force pilots who are hell bent on keeping the enemy off their fellow soldiers. Their fuel consumption is of concern but they will not stop until they take out the danger.

Across the channel, Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance), son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and their family friend George (Barry Keoghan) take off for Dunkirk. Knowing what needs doing, Dawson has the knowledge not only of the Channel but of how to handle the enemy. The crew finds their first shell-shocked soldier (Cillian Murphy) sitting on the turned over hull of a sunken ship. D’Arcy as Col. Winnart follows by example keeping the soldiers as calm as possible.

From air, sea and land the struggle for survival is moment by moment under circumstances that are unimaginable.

I have to start with Mark Rylance as Mr. Dawson; there is something about this actor that I believe from the moment he speaks. As this character, Rylance is the strong silent type who knows what needs to be done and doesn’t need to be told how to do it. Watching how he explains things to Peter and George, this character gets every ounce of the audiences trust. When they have their own problem on board, Mr. Dawson keeps the atmosphere calm in the emotional storm.

Hardy as pilot Farrier is straight on point and although I had a Bane moment (please stop putting stuff over his face!), it is a minor point because everything you need to know is found in this actors eyes. The message is clear ‘do what you must to save as many as you can’ and his actions are evident. Lowden as pilot Collins is equally as powerful to watch and gives a suspenseful scene that needs to be talked about later.

Whitehead as Tommy and Styles as Alex are two very young men that are trying anything to get off the beach. It just breaks the heart to see these two young men and as clever as they are, it is living from one moment to the next. Well done performances by both of these young men.

Branagh as Commander Bolton stands tall for his men even when he knows that the clock is ticking – literally. Having to change tactics quickly, he is the strong face for the men to follow. Murphy as the shocked soldier is intense and frightening because of his unpredictability. Glynn-Carney is strong as Peter as he learns the price of war along with Keoghan as George playing a character I can’t even begin to talk about.

Other performances that need recognition are Damien Bonnard as the French Soldier, Aneurin Barnard as Gibson, Lee Armstrong as Grenadier, Will Attenborough as Second Lieutenant, Richard Sanderson as Heinkel Spotter and so many, many more.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give DUNKIRK five tubs of popcorn out of five. There isn’t a massive amount of dialogue and I didn’t need it. The ensemble of actors brought out every emotion without saying much at all. DUNKIRK is an intense experience as the volume, literally, of the film is pure cinema.

Yes, it is a film of war and there is no doubt in every flicker of film of it being anything else. Nolan meshes the inescapability of war with the human story with a cast that gives the audience a heart stopper that will not stop from start to finish.

I tell you now that the film is so powerful and strong that you will leave the theatre drained both physically and emotionally. The visceral moments that take us so deep that there was one moment during a water scene when I realized I was holding my breath!

Hans Zimmer brings on an epic score that will not let us all get away. At the screening I saw for myself what an amazing score does to people. There is a moment where a clock is ticking, which by the way is the sound of Christopher Nolan’s watch, and people were putting their hands on their chest or over their mouths knowing something was coming. 

DUNKIRK is cinematically stunning and beautiful which seems weird to say considering it is a war film with human causalities. In that is the exquisite gift that director Nolan seems to have and I hope he never changes it. His films give us a duality we are forced to reckon with. DUNKIRK gives us that with the defeat of battle but the pyrrhic victor of humanity.

In the end – when 400,000 men couldn’t get home, home came for them!