Following Murder on The Orient Express and Death On The Nile, A Haunting In Venice is the third entry in Kenneth Branagh’s vivid, energetic but at times erratic and overcooked Agatha Christie adaptations. Like the two previous films, this one benefits from a few standout performances and its probing of detective Hercule Poirot’s formidable intellect and complex psyche. More than
Read moreSome might have deduced from the movie poster – which features individual shots of the large, sharply dressed ensemble cast – that quirky murder mystery comedy, See How They Run is a homage to Agatha Christie’s whodunnits. This very likeable, if slightly tepid film is actually based around Christie’s phenomenally long-running play The Mousetrap. Set in London in 1953, the
Read moreDeath on the Nile Following his well-received Murder on The Orient Express remake, Kenneth Branagh returns as director and lead character – the iconic detective Hercule Poirot – in another Agatha Christie film remake, Death on the Nile, which we previously saw in 1978. The film largely follows the template of the 1978 version as a ‘well to do’ group
Read moreNew Australian film The Dry, which is based on the Jane Harper novel and stars Eric Bana, explores some familiar Australian movie themes. There’s the prodigal son who, like Ben Mendelsohn in Beautiful Kate, returns to his small rural home town having left under controversial circumstances. Also, like Picnic at Hanging Rock, Jindabyne and Black Rock there’s a perplexing mystery
Read moreAfter a lumbering foray into the Star Wars franchise with The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson returns to what he does best, quirky character-based crime dramas in the flawed but highly enjoyable murder mystery Knives Out. The film plays like an alternate reality Agatha Christie story as a group of suspects (played by a typical all-star cast) gather at a
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