By Marc S. Sanders
There’s A Haunting In Venice and Hercule Poirot is on the case.
Kenneth Branagh returns for a third time as Agatha Christie’s famed literary detective. He also serves in the director’s chair again, and this is his best installment in the updated franchise.
The man with the exaggerated mustache is living in Venice, Italy, with the assurance of a bodyguard (Fernando Piloni) to fend off any pestering folk needing their own personal conundrums resolved. Poirot is not interested to assist.
On All Hallow’s Eve, he is invited to be a tag along with his American mystery novelist friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) at Rowena Drake’s home. A celebrity Medium known as Mrs. Reynolds is to appear and perform a seance. My first impression of Fey’s character is a loose interpretation of Dame Agatha come to life to partner up with Hercule. She’s sort of a wink and nod to the author’s fan base. What if Agatha and Hercule actually worked together? This is as close as you’ll get. Branagh and Fey work so well together.
Poirot reluctantly agrees to accept Ariadne’s invitation. Upon arrival at the affair, the best feature of the film is introduced. Rowena’s home is a foreboding dwelling alongside the Venetian River, and this Hallowe’en evening is turning into a dark and stormy night. A children’s costume party is wrapping up complete with creepy puppetry, ghost story telling and apple bobbing. Then it is time to welcome the arrival of a figure dressed in black wearing a pearl white Kabuki mask. The children have left, and the eventual suspects of a murder mystery are all that remain in the house when the seance begins. Mrs. Reynolds will use her talent to communicate with Rowena’s daughter who passed away a year earlier following a fall off the rooftop and into the murky river below.
Poirot is the most skeptical of the guests as he staunchly believes only in logic, not the supernatural. Ariadne insists that he will be amazed at the unexplainable talent at play. A well timed falling chandelier and a typewriter that seems to answer the Medium’s questions are not convincing enough for him.
Eventually, a gruesome and shocking murder occurs. Like most formula mysteries, everyone appears to have an alibi. Yet, Poirot refuses to believe this crime took place by means of a supernatural element. Even if there are unexplained noises within the home and the appearance of Rowena’s daughter turn up, there must be a more logical resolution.
A Haunting In Venice works especially well thanks to the atmosphere of its setting. The multi-floored and darkened home lend to the eeriness necessary for a spooky story focusing on death. The faucet of a sink doesn’t work. The innocence of apples takes on a nervous feeling. Lanterns allow shadows to float within the darkness while the lightning flashes and the thunder pounds outside with choppy waters in the river. This haunted place where a young girl recently died is not somewhere I want to stay overnight.
One suspect that especially stands out is Leopold (Jude Hill), a preteen boy with a fondness for the macabre works of Edgar Allen Poe. Poirot suggests he turn towards Dickens. Leopold seems much wiser than his years, as he tends to and speaks on behalf of his unwell father, Dr. Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan).
Michelle Yeoh turns in another memorable performance permitting the strangeness of her Medium character, Mrs. Reynolds, to elevate suspense. Poirot can choose to be doubtful. Nevertheless, I’m convinced Mrs. Reynolds can speak to the actual dead.
A Haunting In Venice has murder on its mind and the sudden death of one of the characters is horrifying. I dare not spoil how it transpires. Thankfully, this tale returns to an approach that so many classic films adopted. You don’t need pools of blood and guts to get the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up. It’s clear that with the approval from Agatha Christie’s estate, Branagh is well researched in what the author wanted to accomplish.
The screenplay from Michael Green lends wonderful color to the characters, as Poirot interviews each person. All of the performers are engaging. This collection of actors especially works because unlike the other two Branagh films, this installment does not rely so much on stunt casting with recognizable marquee names. For me, the who done it resolution was more challenging to solve because the actors portraying the assortment of suspects were deliberately vague, airing a sense of distrust in any one of them.
This is a fireplace story to curl up with under a blanket and a cup of hot cider on a brisk Autumn night. The best compliment I can give A Haunting In Venice is that it’s a never-ending page turner.
2 UNPAID MOVIE CRITICS!!!! 