A HAUNTING IN VENICE : Tuesday 19th September 2023

I saw the M Rated 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' earlier this week, and this American supernatural mystery film is Co-Produced, Directed and stars Kenneth Branagh and is based on the 1969 novel 'Hallowe'en Party' by Agatha Christie. The film serves as the sequel to 2022's 'Death on the Nile' which was itself a sequel to 2017's 'Murder on the Orient Express' in which Branagh portrays the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, as well as serving as Director on those two previous outings. The film was released in the US and here in Australia last week, has so far grossed US$42M off the back of a US$60M production budget and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

The film opens with Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) waking up startled from a nightmare. He is living a life of retirement in 1947 Venice, Italy having become disillusioned with God and humanity having witnessed first hand the cruelty man can bestow upon his fellow man. Poirot employs local retired Police Officer Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio) as his bodyguard. Having visited the local market later that morning and procured himself his supply of breakfast pastries, there comes a knock at his apartment door. Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) is at the door - Poirot's long term friend and novelist who has penned thirty books so far of which twenty-seven were best sellers but the last three not so much. It is Halloween, and Oliver persuades Poirot to attend a seance at the palazzo of renowned opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) and help expose psychic medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) as a fake.

Later that night, Poirot, Ariadne and Vitale are all taken by gondola along the canals of Venice to Rowena's palazzo, where there is a children's Halloween party in full swing, and we learn through this that the palazzo is on the site of a former children's hospital at which there were numerous children's deaths and the ghosts of those children still haunt the place to this day. After the children have all left for the evening, the adults that remain are Rowena's guests for the seance - they are Joyce Reynolds who Rowena has hired to help her communicate with her daughter Alicia (Rowan Robinson), who committed suicide after her fiance, chef Maxime Gerard (Kyle Allen), broke off their engagement; Rowena's housekeeper Olga Seminoff (Camille Cottin); the Drake family doctor Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan) and his nine year old son Leopold (Jude Hill) and Reynolds' assistant Desdemona Holland (Emma Laird). 

At midnight all the gathered guests assemble in Alicia's bedroom which has remained exactly as she left it the day she died. During the seance, Poirot quickly deduces that Reynolds has not one assistant but two, revealing Desdemona's half-brother Nicholas (Ali Khan) hiding in the chimney of Alicia's bedroom and manipulating a typewriter with a magnetic device that is all part of Reynolds ruse. Reynold's then speaks to Rowena in Alicia's voice, revealing that she was murdered, and states the killer is one of the guests present in the room. Poirot attempts to confront Reynolds about her act, who gives him the brush off and puts her mask and cloak on him and tells him to lighten up. Taking this advice and while attempting to bob for apples, while nobody is watching, Poirot is nearly drowned by an unknown assailant. Reynolds is then found impaled on a statue in the courtyard minutes later. 

Meanwhile, a storm gathers momentum outside, which ultimately cuts off the palazzo until such time as it subsides. Poirot therefore begins his investigations by interviewing the guests, during which time he hallucinates seeing Alicia's ghost, and hears the sound of a female singing, although no one else can hear it. The investigation yields baffling results, namely that Leslie, who is severely traumatised from his experiences at the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, is secretly in love with Rowena. Leopold says he hears the voices from the spirits of children who were left to die back when the palazzo was a plague hospital.
Maxime, who was a last minute addition to the guest list broke off his engagement because he felt Rowena did not approve of him and that Alicia was obsessed with keeping her happy; and Nicholas and Desdemona, both Romani refugees, have been stealing from Joyce and intend to use the money to travel to St. Louis, Missouri, which they fell in love with after seeing the first half of the film 'Meet Me in St. Louis' at a displaced persons camp.

Shortly after, the guests come across a previously hidden basement containing the skeletal remains of the dead children, and Leslie suffers a panic attack and nearly kills Maxime. He is locked inside the music room to recover, with Rowena handing Poirot the only key. After examining Maxime's invitation, Poirot deduces Oliver sent it and that she and Vitale conspired to bring him to the palazzo. Vitale explains he investigated Alicia's death and fished her out of the canal, while Oliver admits she hoped to use Poirot's incapability of explaining the seance as a plot for her next book. Leslie is soon afterward found stabbed to death in the music room to which Poirot had the only means of access.

Poirot brings the remaining guests together, and exposes Rowena as the murderer. She was obsessed with keeping Alicia to herself and, after learning she planned to reconcile with Maxime, used honey extracted from poisonous rhododendron blooms to weaken her, using small doses at a time. When Olga unknowingly gave Alicia tea containing a large fatal dose, Rowena staged Alicia's suicide to prevent exposing herself. When she began receiving blackmail threats, Rowena suspected either Joyce or Leslie. She pushed Joyce to her death after mistakenly attempting to drown Poirot and forced Leslie into stabbing himself via the palazzo's internal phone line, threatening to kill Leopold if he refused. Rowena flees to the roof garden in an attempt to escape, followed by Poirot, but Alicia's ghost seemingly appears from behind and pulls Rowena down, causing her to fall to her death in the canal below. 

Come sun up and the case cracked open in a few short hours, Poirot bids goodbye to Oliver, elects not to turn Vitale in to the local Police for his involvement in the seance, and privately exposes Leopold as the blackmailer. Leopold explains he understood the poisoning signs his father missed and made the connection after realising Rowena's first starring role was in an opera whose lead character was known as the 'king of poisons'. Poirot suggests to Leopold and Olga that to clear their consciences they should use the blackmail money to help Desdemona and Nicholas start a new life in St. Louis before returning home to accept a new case.

Three Agatha Christie big screen adaptations in, and Director and lead Actor Kenneth Branagh has more than settled in to his routine of bringing Hercule Poirot to life, with all his eccentricities and idiosyncrasies firmly intact. Branagh has crafted a solid enough film here that is sure to please those that enjoy a good whodunnit, Venice is shot beautifully, the cast is more than up for the task, and this Gothic inspired supernatural thriller for me sits between 'Murder on the Orient Express' and 'Death on the Nile' that offers the audience a more grounded view of Poirot's methods of deduction, even if at times it defies logic. All within the space of four of five hours Poirot is able to solve not one, not two, but three murders and tie up a whole bunch of loose ends very neatly before moving on to his next case before breakfast - if you can believe it!

'A Haunting in Venice' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 14th September 2023.

The 5th Cheltenham International Film Festival launches on Friday 15th September and runs through until Sunday 24th September. Still in its infancy but nonetheless growing in stature and popularity year on year, the festival held in the historical English town of Cheltenham, in Gloucestershire celebrates its 5th anniversary with a programme of film premieres and previews, special events, new festival themes and celebrity guests. Since launch, the festival has screened and streamed the best of international cinema and welcomed celebrated names including Mike Leigh, Steven Berkoff and Dame Judi Dench, and this year sees Stephen Frears and Ken Loach also attending with the latter showcasing the UK Premiere of his farewell film 'The Old Oak'. In addition, the festival is introducing television into the film schedule with several events including celebrity panels and previews of the new BBC TV series 'Boiling Point' based on the 2021 film of the same name.

This years Opening Night film is 'Typist Artist Pirate King' Written and Directed by Carol Morley and starring Monica Dolan and Kelly Macdonald. The Closing Night film is 'The Miracle Club' Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan and starring Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith and Stephen Rea.

Films in competition, of which there are six, are open only to emerging filmmakers with one or two films on their resume. Those films are :-

* 'Remember to Blink' - from Lithuania and Directed by Austeja Urbaite. French couple Jacqueline and Leon adopt two Lithuanian children.  To help with initial language difficulties and cultural transition, they hire young student Gabriele.  At first it seems an ideal environment for this new family, but as the children begin to form a close bond with their Lithuanian speaking carer, Jacqueline’s controlling ways are about to be tested by the more subtly manipulative Gabriele. UK Premiere.

* 'Exodus' - from Sweden and Directed by Abbe Hassan. 12-year-old Amal is fleeing the brutal oppression of the Syrian regime and wants to travel to her family in Sweden. Currently she is trapped in Turkey. A chance encounter with people smuggler Sam provides her with someone who is willing to take her to her relatives. And so begins a most unusual odyssey across Europe as these two people from different sides of the immigration issue form a tender bond while dealing with their own inner journeys.

* 'Snow and the Bear' - from Turkey, Serbia and Germany and Directed by Selcen Ergun. Asil is a young nurse who has come to a small Turkish village locked in what seems to be a never-ending Winter.  The locals in this patriarchal society are suspicious of this young independent woman and she in turn does not trust them.  When a local person goes missing, the blame is quickly attributed to bears, but Asil believes the answer to the mystery lies elsewhere.  UK Premiere.

* 'Property' - from Brazil and Directed by Daniel Bandeira. Teresa is a privileged Brazilian woman who is living a reclusive life after a violent incident. To help tempt her out of the house, her husband buys her a bullet and soundproof car, in which they travel to their country estate. Soon after arriving, they are confronted by rebellious employees revolting against the news that they will become unemployed when the farm is turned into a hotel. When her husband is taken hostage, Teresa escapes and locks herself in to the car, and must use all her ingenuity to outwit her ever more desperate attackers.

* 'Amusia' - from Italy and Directed by Marescotti Ruspoli. What would your life be like if you couldn’t listen to music? If the tonalities of music caused you pain and disorientation? Such a condition is called Amusia, and that is what Livia is living with. A condition that has driven her away from friends and family. At the vibrant, neon lit Motel Amor, Livia forms a bond with the receptionist Lucio, and a relationship begins to develop. However, Lucio is an aspiring DJ for whom music is life. Can the young couple overcome these difficulties? UK Premiere.

* 'Riceboy Sleeps' - from Canada and Directed by Anthony Shim. Set initially in the 1990’s, we follow the life of So-young who a few years earlier, along with her infant son, left her native Korea and a life of poverty for the opportunities of Canada.  However, as the years go by, abject poverty is replaced by monotony, racism and bullying.  Will this mother and son find the better life they are both looking for?

For the complete run down of the other films being screened, you can visit the official website at : https://cheltfilm.com/

This week to tease you out to your local Odeon on a warm early Springtime evening, we have five new movies, kicking off with the fourteenth offering in the DCEU when an alien scarab chooses a recent college graduate as its symbiotic host bestowing him with a suit of armour that's capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny. Next up we have the third offering in this recent franchise that sees a famed Belgian sleuth investigating a murder while attending a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy. This is followed by a British comedy drama film about a dreamy 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic, when suddenly, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality. Then we turn to an Indian offering that sees a young nine year old lad who fights heaven and earth to find light - he wants to catch, control, cut and project that light to tell stories, but to pursue that dream he must leave everything he loves and take a flight to find the light. And closing out the week we have an animated action adventure feature about a shy adolescent girl who learns that she comes from a fabled royal family of legendary sea krakens and that her destiny lies in the depths of the sea, which is bigger than she could have ever imagined.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'BLUE BEETLE' (Rated M) - is an American Superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle and serves as the 14th instalment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is Directed by the Puerto Rican Angel Manuel Soto, whose previous feature film offerings include 'The Farm' in 2015 and 'Charm City Kings' in 2020. 'Blue Beetle' saw its World Premiere screening on 15th August before its wide release in the US on 18th August, having so far grossed US$114M off the back of a production budget of US$104M, and receiving generally positive reviews from critics.

Recent college graduate from Gotham Law University Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it, and that his family is being evicted due to their financial challenges. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology - the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armour capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Superhero Blue Beetle. Also starring Susan Sarandon, Adriana Barraza, Damian Alcazar, George Lopez and Raoul Max Trujillo.

'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' (Rated M) - this American supernatural mystery film is Co-Produced, Directed and stars Kenneth Branagh and is based on the 1969 novel 'Hallowe'en Party' by Agatha Christie. The film serves as the sequel to 2022's 'Death on the Nile' which was itself a sequel to 2017's 'Murder on the Orient Express' in which Branagh portrays the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, as well as serving as Director on those two previous outings. Set in post-World War II Venice, Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance on All Hallows' Eve. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer. Also starring Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly, Jude Hill and Michelle Yeoh. The film is released in the US this week too.

'SCRAPPER' (Rated PG) - is a British comedy drama film Written and Directed by Charlotte Regan in her feature film making debut. The film saw its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January this year, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Here then, Jason (Harris Dickinson) returns from his life in the Spanish island of Ibiza in the Mediterranean Sea, to live with his 12-year-old daughter Georgie (Lola Campbell), whom he has never previously met, after her mother Vicky (Olivia Brady) dies. Uninterested in a sudden new parental figure, the young Georgie, who has been living alone in her London flat, remains stubbornly resistant to his efforts. As they both adjust to their new circumstances, Georgie and Jason soon find that they still have a lot of growing up to do. The film was released in UK cinema's from 25th August, has so far grossed US$670K and has received generally favourable reviews.

'LAST FILM SHOW' (Rated M) - this Indian Gujarati-language coming-of-age drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Pan Nalin whose more notable works include 'Samsara' in 2001, 'Valley of Flowers' in 2006 and 'Angry Indian Goddesses' in 2015. This semi-autobiographical film centres on nine-year-old Samay (Bhavin Rabari) from Chalala, a village in Saurashtra, Gujarat, India, who spends an entire summer watching films, from the projection booth of a rundown movie theatre, by bribing the projectionist - Fazal (Bhavesh Shrimali). He is absolutely mesmerised by films and filmmaking, to the extent that he decides to become a filmmaker, unaware of the heartbreaking times that await him. The film has picked up seven award wins and another four nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit since its World Premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival in mid-June 2021 and its release in its native India in mid-October last year.

'RUBY GILLMAN : TEENAGE KRAKEN' (Rated PG) - is an American computer-animated action-comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Directed by Kirk DeMicco and Faryn Pearl. DeMicco previously Directed 'Space Chimps' in 2008, 'The Croods' in 2013 and 'Vivo' in 2021. This film follows a shy but kind 15-year-old girl named Ruby Gillman (voiced by Lana Condor) who is desperate to fit in at Oceanside High, but when she went into the ocean by breaking her mother Agatha's (voiced by Toni Collette) rule with any would-be friends, she discovers that she is a direct descendant of battle-hardened krakens who have protected the land and sea from evil mermaids for generations, and is also destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, the Warrior Queen of the Seven Seas (voiced by Jane Fonda). It saw its World Premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in mid-June this year, and was released Stateside at the end of June. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, and is considered a box-office bomb, grossing so far US$42M against a US$70M production budget.

With five new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-