DEATH ON THE NILE : Tuesday 8th February 2022.

I saw the Australian Premier screening of the PG Rated 'DEATH ON THE NILE' at the Open Air Cinema at Mrs. Macquarie's Point in Sydney earlier this week. This mystery thriller is Directed, Co-Produced and stars Kenneth Branagh and is based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie, is the follow up to Branagh's 2017 film 'Murder on the Orient Express', and is the third screen adaptation of the novel after the 1978 feature film and an episode on the TV series 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' aired in 2004. The film was originally set to be released on 20th December 2019, before being rescheduled to 9th October 2020. It was then pushed back two weeks to 23rd October and again to 18th December in response to the domestic box office during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the film was removed from its upcoming release schedule until further notice. The next month, the film was rescheduled to 17th September 2021 and in March 2021, it was then moved to this week. Costing US$90M to produce, the film has so far generated mixed or average Reviews. 

The film opens up with black and white footage of the trenches during WWI where French and Belgian troops have just taken orders to advance on the German line in three hours time when the wind changes direction in their favour, so supposedly allowing them to make the advance undercover of a canopy of gas. The commanding officer of the French and Belgian company (sporting an impressive moustache) gives his final orders to his men saying that many of them will surely die. Then turning around is a young soldier, Poirot (a clean shaven and de-aged Kenneth Branagh) who says that the birds circling overhead change the direction of their flight when the wind changes and that he has been observing them for months, and if they are to succeed in breaching the German line they must go within the next seven or eight minutes. And so they go, and undercover of a canopy of gas they surprise and storm the German line with minimal casualties on their side, their mission a great success against all odds. Until that commanding officer steps on a trip wire which triggers a huge explosion killing him instantly and sending many of his company straight to the nearest field hospital. Sometime later a nurse Katherine (Susannah Fielding) walks up to Poirot's bedside. His head is turned away from her and as she speaks there is clearly a connection between the two. Poirot then turns his head to face her revealing deep shrapnel scars to his lower left face, upper lip and chin, and he says how can you love a man who looks like this? She cradles his hands in hers, kisses his hand, and says, 'you'll just have to grow a moustache'. 

We then fast forward to London, 1937, and as Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh now sporting a full moustache) enters a music club we are greeted by Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo) a jazz singer and guitarist who is belting out a tune on stage with her band, with her niece and business manager Rosalie Otterbourne (Letitia Wright) handling her fee for the evening's entertainment. On the dance floor going all in are Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer) and his bride to be Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey). Arriving at the door amongst a flash of photographers cameras and making a grand entrance is very wealthy business woman Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot), who is a long term school friend of Jacqueline's. Jacqueline can hardly contain herself as she tells Linnet of her new found love, and then introduces her to Simon, saying that they should dance. And they do, and there is clearly a chemistry between them, that Jacqueline can see instantly. All the while Poirot is observing this. 

Six weeks later we find ourselves in a lavish hotel on the banks of the River Nile in Egypt to celebrate the wedding of Simon Doyle . . . . . and Linnet Ridgeway. Among the invited guests are Bouc (Tom Bateman) and his renowned painter mother Euphemia (Annette Bening), Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand) an aristocratic doctor and former fiance to Linnet, Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders) Linnet's Godmother and communist convert who has given all her money away, Mrs. Bowers (Dawn French) Marie's nurse, companion and former wealthy business woman who has fallen upon very hard times, Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie) Linnet's maid, and Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal) Linnet's cousin and lawyer. And of course Poirot who was coincidentally holidaying nearby and in a chance meeting with his old friend Bouc at the pyramids, is invited along to join in the celebrations. And who else should rock up just to add insult to injury, but Jacquleine. Also in the gathered line up of guests is Salome and Rosalie, as the latter is an old classmate of Linnet's.

And so after some heated discussions between Simon and Linnet about whether they should abandon their honeymoon because of the unwanted presence of Jacqueline, and Poirot intervening to have a discreet word with Jacqueline too, they all agree that the show must go on. And so Simon arranges, at his wife's expense, to hire out the paddle steamer, the S.S. Karnak, exclusively for their honeymoon and their invited guests to enjoy a leisurely cruise down the Nile taking in the sights, drinking Champagne, enjoying each others company and generally having a good ol' time. The first afternoon and evening go reasonably well as the happy couple and gathered guests all settle in and we get to know them all. 

The S.S. Karnak cruises up to the Temple of Abu Simbel and all passengers alight to view the temple of King Ramesses II and his wife Nefertari from both the outside and within. While the passengers are on shore, Jacqueline boards the Karnak and surprises Simon and Linnet (and not in a good way) upon their return, with her presence.  

Later that evening Simon and Linnet reveal to Poirot that they have made the decision to return home the next day (as was Poirot's earlier suggestion) to get away from Jacqueline and to get on with the lives peacefully, quietly and in private. However, tomorrow never comes, as later that night after most of the guests, including Linnet, have retired for the night, Jacqueline shoots Simon in the knee with a .22 hand gun, after the pair got into a fierce argument. Poirot is busy sleeping through all this commotion - the effects of being on a moving boat and a glass of Champagne knocking him out. Linus Windlesham attends to Simon, while Mrs. Bower attends to Jacqueline and sedates her. The next morning Louise Bourget is delivering breakfast to Linnet, only to find her stone cold dead in her bed with a single bullet wound to the temple. Poirot is woken by the screaming of Louise and goes off to investigate.

What follows over the next 24 hours or so is Poirot's murder investigation into the death of Linnet. Everyone is a suspect and everyone had a motive it seems. Poirot methodically interviews each of the guests in turn and either rules them out or keeps them on his list of prime suspects. In the meantime it is revealed that Bouc and Rosalie are in love, much to his mothers chagrin and disapproval. But it turns out that Poirot was hired by Euphemia to get the full low down on Rosalie and to establish her character and suitability to be the wife of her son. Poirot comes clean in front of Euphemia, Bouc, Rosalie and Salome that his findings of Rosalie are that she is honest, forthright, responsible and trustworthy and should be considered a keeper, but still Euphemia will have none of it, and Rosalie is so angered by Poirot that she calls him all the names under the sun. She storms off and Poirot gives chase. Catching up on the deck, Rosalie notices a body caught up in the paddle of the steamer. Stopping the boat, and retrieving the corpse it is revealed to be that of Louise, who had her throat slit before being thrown overboard, using a very sharp blade - like a surgeon's scalpel, like those belonging to Windlesham. 

With the body count rising, Poirot continues with his interviews, coming down to the final one, that of Bouc, which he conducts in the presence of Simon. Poirot and Bouc go back a long way and are trusted friends, but Poirot has his suspicions about Bouc. In their discussions, just as Bouc is about to reveal a potentially important piece of evidence, he is shot by a single bullet through the throat from behind and up high. He dies instantly where he sat. Poirot gives chase to the unknown assailant and manages to dodge several gun shots aimed directly at him, but is unable to catch the shooter. 

Later that evening with the remaining guests becoming increasingly agitated that Poirot has as yet drawn a blank and with a seemingly ever increasing body count, Poirot locks them all inside the bar saying that that murderer is in the room and he will now reveal who the murderer, or murderers, are. And in a shocking twist, he does, and nails it, leaving five corpses to be stretchered off the boat at the end!

In the closing scene, we fast forward six weeks, and we are back in London at the music club where Poirot first saw Salome play. She is singing, but there are no guests dancing, there is no party atmosphere, and in fact the host passes by Poirot, who is facing away from the camera looking toward the stage, saying that the place is about to close. Poirot turns around revealing his clean shaven face, with the old scars to his upper lip, his chin and his lower left face clearly evident. 

For me 'Death on the Nile' was a bit of a let down. It's certainly lacks the air of mystery and suspense that Branagh's 'Murder on the Orient Express' delivered, despite Branagh's return as the super sleuth detective extraordinaire Hercule Poirot and his once again assembling of an all star cast, however, this film is a notch above the 1978 film in which Peter Ustinov portrayed Poirot, but without much sense of the location in which the story is set. Branagh is clearly having a lot of fun playing Poirot for the second time around, and giving us a glimpse of his own backstory and how his famous moustache came to be. Who knows where he'll take the character if a third film ever gets made. As for the rest of the ensemble crew they are all mostly one dimensional cardboard cut outs most of whom have the motive for seeing off Linnet, but who tread water while flailing around in the Nile like their lives depended on it. The film certainly looks the part, with the Director not scrimping on the production design, CGI wizardry or the sense of place that it offers up, but this film is a film of two distinct halves. The first set on dry land where we are introduced, albeit briefly, to the main characters, and the second on the Nile, leading up to the murders, the hurried suspect interviews and then the rush to the finish line in explaining his suspicions and the ultimate big reveal, which offers up a real surprise. As a final comment I would like to know what happened between 'Murder on the Orient Express' and this film, as Poirot's closing remarks at the end of Orient Express as he is called to his next case he says 'it seems there has been a death on the Nile', yet in between time he has ventured to London, taken on a case for Euphemia and holidayed in Egypt? Continuity be damned!

'Death on the Nile' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 10th February 2022.

The 51st International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), took place online from 26th January to 6th February. The festival was held online for the second consecutive year due to the spread of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus across Europe, and opened with Amanda Kramer's film 'Please Baby Please' from the USA and starring Andrea Riseborough, Harry Melling and Demi Moore. The closing night film was 'Dragon Inn' from Taiwan and Directed and Written by King Hu. The International Film Festival Rotterdam offers a high quality line-up of carefully selected fiction and documentary feature films, short films and media art. The festival's focus is on recent work by talented new filmmakers. However, there is also room for retrospectives and themed programmes. IFFR actively supports new and adventurous filmmaking talent by providing a leading cultural platform accessible to all, that champions compelling cinema and audiovisual art. Through screenings, talks, exhibitions, and various networking opportunities, IFFR enables discovery, dialogue, learning and people coming together. Through IFFR’s distinct programming, it opens a space for ideas that captivate, engage and entertain, pushing creative boundaries that have the power to transform.

This years winners of the IFFR’s trade mark Tiger Competition celebrates the innovative and adventurous spirit of up-and-coming filmmakers from all over the world. The Tiger Award is accompanied by a €40K cash prize, to be shared between the Director and Producer of the winning film. Two Special Jury Awards worth €10K are also presented for exceptional artistic achievement within the competition.

Tiger Award winner was 'EAMI' from Paraguay, and a Co-Production from Paraguay, Germany, Argentina, Netherlands, France and the USA, and Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Paz Encina.  

Special Jury Award presented to 'Excess Will Save Us' from Sweden and Directed, Written and starring Morgane Dziurla-Petit. 

Special Jury Award presented to 'To Love Again', from China and Directed, Written and Co-Edited by Gao Linyang. This film also won the FIPRESCI Award, which is given to the best film in the Tiger Competition. The jury assembles members of the Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique which consists of international film journalists.

The other films nominated in the Tiger Competition were : 'Achrome' from Russia and Directed by Maria Ignatenko; 'The Cloud Messenger' from India Directed by Rahat Mahajan, 'A crianca' from Portugal and Directed by Marguerite de Hillerin and Felix Dutilloy-Liegeois; 'Kafka for Kids' from Israel Directed by Roee Rosen; 'Malintzin 17' from Mexico and Directed by Mara Polgovsky and Eugenio Polgovsky; 'Met Mes' from the Netherlands and Directed by Sam de Jong; 'The Plains' from Australia and Directed by David Easteal; 'Proyecto Fantasma' from Chile Directed by Roberto Doveris; 'Le rev et la radio' from Canada Directed by Renaud Despres-Larose and Ana Tapia Rousiouk; 'Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish' from the USA Directed by Lei Lei and 'Yamabiku' from Japan and Directed by Yamasaki Juichiro. 

The Big Screen Competition bridges the gap between popular, classic and art house cinema. An expert audience jury composed of five film lovers, selects the winner. Together they determine which film they think deserves to be shown in film houses across the Netherlands and broadcast on television after the festival. The winner of the Big Screen Award wins a cash prize of €30,000, half of which goes to the distributor who decides to buy the film. 

This years Big Screen Award winner was 'Kung Fu Zohra' from France and Directed by Mabrouk el Mechri, beating out 'Assault' from Kazakhstan Directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov; 'Broadway' from Greece Directed by Christos Massalas; 'CE2 (Third Grade)' from France and Directed by Jacques Doillon; 'Daryn's Gym' from South Africa Directed by Brett Michael Innes; 'Drifting Petals' from Australia Directed by Clara Law; 'The Island' from Romania Directed by Anca Damian; 'Mi vacio y yo' from Spain Directed by Adrian Silvestri and 'Splendid Isolation' from the Netherlands Directed by Urszula Antioniak. 

For all the latest news, views and previews from the 51st International Film Festival Rotterdam, you can go to the official website at : https://www.iffr.com/en

This week with seven new movies to tempt you out to your local Odeon, we kick off the latest releases with a mystery thriller that sees this renowned super sleuth while holidaying on the River Nile, having to investigate the murder of a young heiress. This is followed with music superstars Kat and Bastian about to get married before a global audience of fans, but seconds before taking her vows Kat learns that her fiance has been unfaithful, so she decides to marry Charlie, a stranger in the crowd, instead. Next up is a story of a shadowy government agent who specialises in extracting operatives whose covers have been exposed, uncovers a deadly conspiracy within his own ranks that reaches the highest echelons of power. Then, we turn to a highly acclaimed Japanese film about an ageing, widowed actor looking for a chauffeur who turns to his go-to mechanic, who ends up recommending a 20-year-old girl, and despite their initial misgivings, a very special relationship develops between the two. Following on we have the sequel to a 2014 cult Aussie feature that sees a survivor of a zombie outbreak attempting to rescue his kidnapped sister from a psychotic doctor and his henchmen; before a story of a 17th-century nun who becomes entangled in a forbidden lesbian affair, but it's her shocking religious visions that threaten to shake the Church to its very core. And we close out the week with a doco that shows for the first time in its entirety - The Beatles' last live performance as a group - the unforgettable rooftop concert on London's Savile Row.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven 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.

'DEATH ON THE NILE' (Rated PG) - this mystery thriller is Directed, Co-Produced and stars Kenneth Branagh and is based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie, is the follow up to Branagh's 2017 film 'Murder on the Orient Express', and is the third screen adaptation of the novel after the 1978 feature film and an episode on the TV series 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' aired in 2004. The film was originally set to be released on 20th December 2019, before being rescheduled to 9th October 2020. It was then pushed back two weeks to 23rd October and again to 18th December in response to the domestic box office during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the film was removed from its upcoming release schedule until further notice. The next month, the film was rescheduled to 17th September 2021and in March 2021, it was then moved to this week. 

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's (Kenneth Branagh) Egyptian holiday aboard the glamorous river steamer the S.S. Karnak turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple's idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travellers, any one of whom is a prime suspect in this whodunnit until the final shocking reveal of the identity of the culprit. Starring an ensemble cast, including Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Russell Brand, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo and Letitia Wright. 

'MARRY ME' (Rated PG) - is an American romantic musical comedy drama film Directed by Kat Coiro whose previous feature film making credits are her debut in 2011 with 'Life Happens', then 'And While We Were Here' in 2012 and 'A Case of You' in 2013. This film is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Bobby Crosby. Pop superstar Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) is about to get married before an audience of her loyal fans. However, seconds before the ceremony, she learns about her fiance's cheating ways and has a meltdown on stage. In a moment of inspired insanity, Kat locks eyes with a total stranger, Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson) in the crowd and marries him on the spot. As forces conspire to separate the unlikely newlyweds, they must quickly decide if two people from such different worlds can find true love together. Also starring Maluma, John Bradley and Sarah Silverman. 

'BLACKLIGHT' (Rated M) - this American action film (shot in Australia), is Directed Co-Written for the screen and Co-Produced by Mark Williams in only his third film making outing following 2016's 'A Definitely Maybe' and 2020's 'Honest Thief'. Here, trust, identity, and the danger of unchecked power push a covert operative to the edge where Travis Block (Liam Neeson) lives and fights in the shadows (with his very particular set of skills). A freelance government 'fixer', Block is a dangerous man whose assignments have included extracting agents out of deep-cover situations. When Block discovers a shadowy programme called Operation Unity is striking down ordinary citizens for reasons known only to Block's boss, FBI chief Robinson (Aidan Quinn), he enlists the help of a journalist Mira Jones (Emmy Raver-Lampman), but his past and present collide when his daughter Amanda (Claire van der Boom) and granddaughter Natalie (Gabriella Sengos) are threatened. Now Block needs to rescue the people he loves and expose the truth for a shot at redemption. 

'DRIVE MY CAR' (Rated MA15+) - here, this Japanese road drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and is primarily based on Haruki Murakami's short story of the same name from his 2014 short story collection 'Men Without Women' while taking inspiration from other stories in it. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it won three awards, including Best Screenplay. It was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best International Feature Film at this years Academy Awards, making the December 2021 shortlist. At the Golden Globe Awards earlier in January, the film won Best Foreign Language Film, among its total haul so far of fifty-five wins and another eighty-two nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, with some of those nods still awaiting final outcome. Released in its native Japan in August last year, the film has so far grossed US$3M and has garnered widespread critical acclaim. Two years after his wife's unexpected death, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director, receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya at a theatre festival in Hiroshima. There, he meets Misaki Watari (Toko Miura), a taciturn young woman assigned by the festival to chauffeur him in his beloved red Saab 900. As the production's premiere approaches, tensions mount amongst the cast and crew, not least between Yusuke and Koji Takatsuki (Masaki Okada), a handsome TV star who shares an unwelcome connection to Yusuke's late wife Oto (Reika Kirishima). Forced to confront painful truths raised from his past, Yusuke begins, with the help of his driver, to face the haunting mysteries his wife left behind. Be forewarned, that this film has a run time of just on three hours. 

'WYRMWOOD : APOCALYPSE' (Rated MA15+) - Directed and Co-Written by Kiah Roache-Turner this film is the sequel to 2014's cult Aussie post-apocalyptic zombie offering 'Wyrmwood : Road of the Dead', with Bianca Bradey, Jay Gallagher and Luke McKenzie returning for this second instalment. This film then, picks up on the action shortly after the events of the first film. Brother and sister duo Barry (Jay Gallagher) and Brooke (Bianca Brady) have joined forces with fellow rebels – sisters Maxi (Shantae Barnes-Cowan) and Grace (Tasia Zalar). When Grace is captured by soldier Rhys (Luke McKenzie) and delivered to The Colonel (Jake Ryan) and his villainous leader, The Surgeon (Nicholas Boshier), Maxi and her new rebel friends must slaughter their way to her rescue. 

'BENEDETTA' (Rated R18+) - this biographical French drama film is Directed and Co-Written by Paul Verhoeven and is loosely based on the 1986 non-fiction book 'Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy' by Judith C. Brown. Verhoeven previous film making credits include 1987's 'RoboCop', 1990's 'Total Recall', 1992's 'Basic Instinct', 1995's 'Showgirls', 1997's 'Starship Troopers', 2000's 'Hollow Man' and 2016's 'Elle'.  Originally slated for its World Premier at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, this was subsequently postponed until 2020, because post-production had been delayed as Verhoeven was recovering from hip surgery. However, the release was delayed again to 2021, following the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival where the film was set to Premiere, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And so the film finally saw its World Premier at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival where it was in competition for the Palme d'Or, was released in the US in early December and this week is released in Australia, having so far grossed US$4.0M and generated largely favourable Reviews. Set during the 17th century, Benedetta Carlini (Virginie Efira), an Italian nun in the abbey of a convent in Tuscany was considered to be mystical and venerated by her religious entourage, and was finally arrested and judged for lesbianism. Also starring Charlotte Rampling and Lambert Wilson.

'THE BEATLES : GET BACK - THE ROOFTOP CONCERT' (Rated M) - here acclaimed filmmaker Peter Jackson's 'The Beatles : Get Back' is a unique cinematic experience that takes audiences back in time to The Beatles' intimate recording sessions during a pivotal moment in music history. The film showcases the warmth, camaraderie, and creative genius that defined the legacy of the iconic foursome. Shot on 30th January 1969, the Beatles performed an unannounced concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row, within central London's office and fashion district. Joined by keyboardist Billy Preston, the band played a 42-minute set before the Metropolitan Police asked them to reduce the volume. It was the final public performance of their career, and this film has been compiled from over sixty hours of unseen footage and more than 150 hours of unheard audio, all of which has been brilliantly restored. Although the concert was conceived just days before, the Beatles were planning a return to live performances throughout the early sessions for their 1970 album 'Let It Be'. They performed nine takes of five songs as crowds of onlookers, many of whom were on their lunch break, congregated in the streets and on the rooves of local buildings. The concert ended with the conclusion of 'Get Back'. Footage from the performance was used in the 1970 documentary film 'Let It Be' and the 2021 three-part documentary series 'The Beatles : Get Back' Directed by Peter Jackson and which aired on Disney+ from the 25th November last year.

With seven 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-