'Death on the Nile,' Kenneth Branagh’s latest attempt to establish an Agatha Christie Extended Universe, hits a snag, thanks to a not-so-little leading-man problem
, and why he’s been persona non grata for the past few years. In a better world, we wouldn’t need to talk about Armie, or bad behavior among the rich and famous, or cannibalism fetishization, or any number of toxic, unsavory topics.
We live in this world, however, and while it may seem unfair to fixate on one bad actor at the expense of an entire project, no movie exists in a vacuum. Hammer plays a handsome cad who wins over Mackey’s socialite and then, when she asks Gadot’s character to give him a handyman job, he seduces the heiress as well. It’s a prominent part, one that calls for him to be roguish, charming, and hornier than a goatherd, and good lord, is it uncomfortable to watch. It is quite possibly the last thing you want to see Hammer doing right now — playing someone with an edge of danger that’s inseparable from studly sex appeal — and it serves as a dissonant record-scratch among the tony, glossy escapism that Branagh and the rest of the performers are aiming for. It’s there in the back of your head as Branagh banters with his co-stars. It’s there as bodies keep turning up and shadowy figures run to and fro on deck. It’s there even as you find yourself drawn into the exotic locales and dated-yet-still-dreamy pleasures of a Christie mystery, and admit that, after the creaky feel of Branagh’s original Poirot outing, he’s managed to get a better handle on the pace and tone of an old whodunnit. It’s even there as you imagine the possibilities of an ACEU — Agatha Christie Extended Universe — and wonder if Helen Mirren will unexpectedly pop up as one Ms. Jane Marple during the end credits. Whether there was a solution to the Curious Case of the Cannibalism-Accused Star is unknown, of course, and short of reshooting the entire thing , the best option was to simply release this, go “What scandal?” and move on.has its joys and flaws apart from that Armie factor, but it’s almost like trying to assess whether the appetizer course could have been slightly undercooked while an elephant stampedes over the whole dinner table. You don’t even need your little gray cells to see that even when things do sync up, its legacy as a mystery-movie mulligan is already underway.
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Review: 'Death on the Nile' is two hours of retro blissIf you’re a sucker, as I am, for an Agatha Christie mystery with an all-star cast, then 'Death on the Nile' is the whodunit for you.
Read more »
Box Office: ‘Death on the Nile’ Besting ‘Marry Me’ in Quiet Super Bowl Weekend ShowdownThere’s a battle between love and “Death” at this weekend’s domestic box office, as the Jennifer Lopez rom-com “Marry Me” and Kenneth Branagh’s follow-up t…
Read more »
‘Death on the Nile’ Review: Low-Flow Hercule Poirot'Death on the Nile' Review: Disney’s take on the Agatha Christie novel has style in the same way today’s big-brand toothpastes have flavor—artificial ingredients give them a taste that’s discernible, but too generic to name
Read more »
Death on the Nile Is a Pleasant, Overbaked TrifleDeathOnTheNile is totally crazy, but it works. Mostly
Read more »
Death on the Nile Opening Weekend Box Office Numbers Are In20th Century Studios' Death on the Nile is opening in the top spot at the box office this [...]
Read more »