Unfortunately, that long wait may have built my expectations up higher than this movie could actually bear. I did like it. But I didn't love it. And maybe that's because... it would be really hard for any movie to live up to two years' worth of expectations and anticipation? Possibly.
Except I often have movies that I really, really want to see and don't get a chance to see for years and years. So I'm not convinced that over-anticipation is the reason I didn't love it.
Part of what I didn't love is how much they pushed the PG-13 boundaries in regards to sensuality. There's a lot of suggestive bumping and grinding and clutching, and even a moment when a woman starts to unbuckle and reach inside her husband's pants. It gets way too hot and heavy for me to let my 14-year-old watch this, for sure. I, as a married adult, was uncomfortable. And that was just not necessary. Sigh.
The mystery itself is thoroughly mysterious. People keep dying under Hercule Poirot's very mustache. He is flummoxed. In fact, he might be too flummoxed. He really didn't do any detecting of note until very close to the end of the film. It was almost like he was along for the ride on the murder boat, then finally got around to trying to solve things after multiple bodies had stacked up. And it's not like he really stopped any more murders from happening, he just figured out who did the killing. I don't think anyone else was going to get killed, by the time he solved it.
I haven't read the novel yet, though it's been sitting on my shelf for two years, waiting for me to see this so I could read the book after. I suspect I may like the book better. We'll see.
(MAJOR SPOILERS in this paragraph!) And, yes, part of what made me not love this movie was that Armie Hammer's character turns out to be a villain, and I am always vexed when a favorite of mine plays a bad guy. Especially when I don't know going in that they'll be the bad guy. So, there's that. Plus, there's really no justice served on the guilty parties, as they commit murder-suicide to get out of going to jail. Hmm.
(END OF SPOILERS)
So... I'm not saying "this movie isn't worth seeing," but it's not one I'll be buying so I can watch it over and over. Which I was kind of hoping it would be, so that's a disappointment. However, I will say that Armie Hammer was devastatingly handsome, Gal Gadot and Letitia Wright were very beautiful, and the whole movie was aesthetically elegant. I do love how Branagh directs, with every shot very purposeful and never shaky or distractingly showy. And the music by Patrick Doyle was lovely. I may pick up the soundtrack at some point, since I do love Doyle's scores.
Interesting. I remember reading Death On the Nile, and it's definitely not one of my favorite Christie books, even though I don't DISlike it... but I sort of recall something along the lines of "Poirot not doing anything useful til the very end." I also definitely recall the murder-suicide of the two culprits. Rather gross, I must say. xD
ReplyDeleteI probably will watch this anyway, though, out of loyalty to Christie, plus my big heart-eyes for Letitia Wright <333
Katie, I am not the hugest Christie fan, but I do enjoy her Poirot stories. Generally.
DeleteLetitia Wright is a jewel.
I am somewhat amused that I knew who Armie's character was when you didn't, but that's because I've seen the 1978 version. But I also get why that would bring the whole movie down a bit, as that never is going to work for you. I think I'll have to see this and Orient Express at some point, just for Ken and his filming.
ReplyDeleteDKoren, well... they set Armie's character up from the get-go as, if not a Bad Guy, most definitely a problematic guy. So I spent the first half of the movie going, "Maybe they will surprise me and he won't be the bad guy, wouldn't that be cool?" And then I glommed pretty quickly to one clue that pretty clearly made him, if not the culprit, at least up to something bad and probably an accessory at the least. But I did just keep hoping.
DeleteBranagh is wonderful. Deeply moving in a couple spots. And his filmmaking continues to delight me.
I really enjoy Kenneth Branagh's films, and Murder on the Orient Express was splendid...but this sounds a little too content-y for me. :( And not as good as Orient Express anyway. Ah well. Thanks for this write-up!
ReplyDeleteEva, yeah, I think a filter could clean this up reasonably well, as the gropey parts really Are Not Necessary.
DeleteI was thinking about checking this out in theaters (not that excited, tbh) but read the content at PluggedIn and went: ehh, I'll wait. :P
ReplyDeleteCharity, yeah... I hear you there.
DeleteI read the book and enjoyed it (Dame Agatha was married to an archaeologist and travelled widely in the Orient, which makes the setting of her stories there very authentic – not one page of boredom amongst all the wonderfully described locations, no problem that "the actual murder" happens quite late). And, yes, I did and still do like the 1978 version with Sir Peter Ustinov and an all-star Golden Hollywood cast and no special effects whatsoever. (Why would the monuments of ancient Egypt need any CGI enhancing? *shudder*). Bette Davis and Angela Lansbury were hilarious. No bumping-clutching amongst the younger ones whatsoever (Christie was super Victorian/Edwardian, Hays Code was nothing compared to her sense of propriety), chaste kisses between the honeymooners, that was it and it was good. I was disappointed by the Branagh version of Orient Express, I still much prefer the (again) all-star version of the 70s. Maybe I'm old-fashioned. I like Dame Agatha's work, I think she's underrated (Billy Wilder once said so – "give me the talent for plot construction of Christie plus the writing style and dialogue of Chandler, and that would be perfect" or something of the sort). I guess I'm not going to watch Mr. Branagh's version.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, I would REALLY like to see the Ustinov version! I like Ustinov a lot. He always turns in such enjoyable performances! I will have to see if I can find it on DVD or something. I had completely forgotten he ever played Poirot, so thanks for the reminder!
DeleteRachel, you're welcome. Ustinov is totally NOT what Christie had in mind as Poirot (looks, mannerisms), but he's great anyway. Almost all the characters in the 1978 version are great, especially Bette Davis as an elderly lady very interested in Linnet's pearls and the great Dame Maggie Smith as her "companion" (she's perpetually angry because Linnet Doyle's father has ruined her father and forced her to become a lady's companion – yup, one more suspect). Angela Lansbury (who played the teenage, sassy maid in "Gaslight" with Boyer and Bergman so long ago) is hilarious as a writer of rather adult novels, who likes her booze – but it is just all done with, there is no other word, class. Mia Farrow as the jealous nemesis hunting the newlyweds is also superb (she's a very underrated actress). I prefer Sir Peter Ustinov's Poirot to Albert Finney's (Finney had a mighty strange "accent" on that train...). It's such a classic, you'll certainly find it easily on DVD or Blu ray. Enjoy! (And I love the core...)
ReplyDeleteAndrea, I think Christie fans say that David Suchet is supposed to be the best match for Hercule Poirot... and David Suchet annoys me a LOT. I have never managed to watch a whole episode of the BBC version where he plays Poirot because he just kind of gets under my skin. And so I really hadn't read any of the Poirot books for like 20 years because Suchet was too much in my head for Poirot... and then Branagh made Orient Express, and I could write over Suchet with Branagh in my brain, and suddenly I am totally digging Agatha Christie!
DeleteBUT I already know I love Ustinov (especially in We're No Angels and Luther), so I am ordering a DVD set with his version of Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun in it. Looking forward to them!!!
... I mean I love the score – phew, we have full moon here and it's late.
ReplyDeleteHaha! No worries ;-)
DeleteVery good decision to get "Death on the Nile" and "Evil Under the Sun" with Ustinov! "Evil under the Sun" also has a stellar cast, again Maggie Smith and "Avengers" Emma Peel Diana Rigg, and Roddy McDowall, and and and... When I first saw it in the cinema, the reel broke and there was no one to repair it – my poor mom was afraid I'd trash the place, I was so frustrated (I was VERY young and short fuse back then...) It's all very elegant, but never pompous. You're in for a treat!
DeleteAndrea, I am excited for them to arrive! I have had that happen in the theater before -- not a reel breaking, but some technical difficulty that stopped a film partway. Long ago, heh.
DeleteI just went today with my two sisters and my sister in law.
ReplyDeleteWhen it first started, my reaction was I didn't sign up for WWI trench warfare.
I did read the book but it was years ago. With Murder on the Orient Express I remembered the details before even watching, but this one I didn't until I got more into the movie (and not all the details), and this plot was complex enough to still be interesting.
One of my coworker's (near my mom's age and who I know dislikes the content in Friends) told me to text her my thoughts. As I'm watching it, I was like, well definitely going to have to tactfully put a content warning. I don't remember seeing the rating, but yes, we all thought it was excruciating to watch. Seriously, in public! Get a room (off screen) folks.
Livia, I liked the stuff about the war and how they tied into it at the end. I haven't read this one, so I had no idea where it was going. Now I plan to read it soon!
DeleteAnd yeah, that aspect was so distasteful.
I watched it this afternoon on Hulu and felt underwhelmed. It was too long, because there were unnecessary things in it (not just the sensuality, but things like Poirot's back history / why he has a repugnant, enormous mustache, his lost lover, etc) that padded the running time. They also changed a lot of the characters, added lesbians, and killed off a rather likable sidekick. So, meh.
ReplyDeleteCharity, I didn't mind Poirot's back story, but I get more and more ticked off that they inserted Bouc into this only so they could kill him off. Not pleased with that at all.
Delete