‘A Haunting In Venice’ Movie Review: A Well-Crafted Mystery With An Exceptional Cast
Photo from 20th Century Studios
From Joe Peltzer
Aside from hits like Thor and Belfast, filmmaker Kenneth Branagh has made a name for himself in whodunit cinema with Agatha Christie adaptations Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Now comes A Haunting in Venice, a considerably darker entry in the series (based on Christie’s Halloween Party novel), but one that boasts an intelligent mystery at its core, elevated by a stellar cast, for what results as the best of the three to date.
The year is 1947 and, on All Hallows’ Eve, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is invited to observe a séance by a longtime friend and American mystery author Ariadne Oliver (played by Tina Fey) who seeks to discover if the mysterious Mr.s Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) is the real deal or just another fake. It all is taking place in dark and dreary Venice in the middle of an evening of storms at the home of renowned Opera singer Rowena Drake (Yellowstone’s Kelly Reilly), who has still not recovered from the death of her daughter Alicia. Also present is the late daughter’s tortured doctor Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan), his highly-intelligent son Leopold (Belfast’s Jude Hill), Poirot’s stalwart bodyguard Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio), Alicia’s questioning ex-fiancé Maxime (Kyle Allen), the home’s distraught attendant Olga Seminoff (Camille Cottin), and Reynolds’ mysterious assistant Desdemona (Emma Laird). Admittedly a strange combination on paper, especially the casting of Fey, Branagh’s cast exceeds all expectations and excels in driving home the film’s puzzling twists and turns and the occasion’s unfortunate spark. Fey is particularly strong as a partner to Branagh’s Poirot, serving as a worthy opposite, often volleying theories with the famous investigator with bouts of humor strewn about.
Michelle Yeoh seems to be having the most fun with her unique role, her character a mystery psychic who you’re meant to wonder about… is she the real deal? The Oscar winner has a way with words, her delivery peculiar and strange, right in line with the rest of the film. This is especially true in a scene shared with Branagh who is challenging her expertise, the lighting striking at the right time outside to add that additional level of uneasiness. In fact, the entire set and lighting design acts as an uncredited star in the film, setting the tone and never wavering.
Like any of these Agatha Christie mysteries, A Haunting in Venice keeps you guessing until he very end thanks to a packed script from Logan writer Michael Green that doesn’t let up, though it does remain comfortably in just one gear, never graduating to much more than a one-note murder mystery. Perhaps that is okay here; Venice is intriguing enough to keep one’s attention and is certainly a film that delivers exactly the type of mystery you would expect. Branagh is the heart of the this film, just as he was with the two previous entries in the series, leading the viewer step by step through his investigation with an air of the supernatural hovering above. The content itself is not hard to follow, though the accents at play can be tricky from time to time. Thankfully the editing and sound work is crisp, though the frequently-used closeups present a duality: the visuals are both unique and stunning while also overwhelmingly obnoxious by the film’s end.
A Haunting in Venice certainly asks viewers to suspend belief in certain parts of the storytelling, and the result isn’t necessarily going to fully resolve the battle between reason and the occult, but it is the most complete of Branagh’s adaptations yet. It leaves you ready for to dive back into another mystery as soon as Branagh is ready to go, his films a nice welcome alternative to big-budget blockbusters, with no shortage of options for him out there given Agatha Christie’s catalogue of novels.
Rating: 4/5
A Haunting in Venice is in theaters this Friday.
