Freakin’ fight me, but this is the best.
Like James Bond or Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot is one of those literary characters whose image glows brightly in the public’s mind. Hercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Together with Miss Maple, he’s one of the most famous and long-lived characters, having appeared in 33 novels and 54 short stories.
A Haunting in Venice is indeed the best one when it comes to storytelling. In contrast to the incredibly well-known “Murder on the Orient Express,” where the twist is already well-known, this means that for avid Christie fans, watching the movie actually felt like solving a mystery.
The Truth Be Told
The story revolves around Poirot’s most recent adventure, which starts when he is persuaded to leave his isolated life in Italy in order to attend an occult ceremony and disprove an intriguing medium, played by fan favorite Michelle Yeoh. Initially skeptical and dismissive, Poirot soon finds himself engulfed in mystery and unsolved deaths among the guests, all set against the eerie, dark backdrop of Venice.
The story’s strong sense of time and place is what gives it its deeper resonance. Only two years have passed since the end of World War II, and many of the suspects have seen unimaginable horrors. Mrs. Reynolds was a nurse during the war, which might explain why she has such a strong connection to the deceased. Everyone seems to be grieving a loss of some kind, from the distraught opera singer to the doctor who has been traumatized by his memories.
Poirot is a veteran of World War I in Branagh’s retelling. He has witnessed too much suffering and cruelty to consider the possibility of a loving God, which is one of the reasons he is such a passionate atheist. By the time A Haunting in Venice comes to an end, he hasn’t exactly changed his mind. However, Poirot’s return from retirement with a renewed conviction that he can still make a difference in the world is a testament to the poignancy of this film. Just like the viewers, he is eagerly anticipating his next case.
Never not getting awesome
The film’s cinematography, which used a variety of styles, gave it a completely new dimension. Throughout the movie, the camera would alternately pan between Dutch tilts, fish-eye lens shots, and head-on shots. Well, compared to Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, the feeling of being given such a limited place or light to consume makes it one horrifying film.
“A Haunting in Venice” is a creepy Halloween movie thanks to the acting and cinematography, but it doesn’t seem to be able to commit to that style entirely. There were comedic passages that felt utterly out of place, given the jump scares and the overall eerie atmosphere of the movie.
Aside from that, the characters did an incredible job. Michelle Yeoh as Joyce Reynolds, the psychic medium, and Kelly Reilly as Rowena Drake, the owner of the ostensibly haunted house, give outstanding performances that complement the incredible camera work. It was absolutely amazing and haunting to watch Yeoh spin and scream as she appeared to be possessed by a ghost. Drake was expertly portrayed by Reilly in a mystifying, sympathetic, and off-balance way. Their two dramatic performances played a part in why I found this movie to be so intriguing; their characters were peculiar and erred on the macabre, just as horror movie characters should.
CONCLUSION
In the end, Poirot did satisfy his viewers with the ending and the storyline they wanted.
Yes, despite some people’s complaints, this is unquestionably the best installment in the trilogy. Compared to the murky backgrounds of Murder on the Orient Express, its settings seem more authentic. Compared to the cast from Death on the Nile, this cast is more adept at the subject matter and the retro vibe. Even though we yearned for scares that were more intense, people enjoyed the spooky atmosphere that Branagh infuses the first act with, like a chilling fog. And even though Fey seems out of place in the movie, she is unquestionably entertaining.
Despite a few genre missteps, this was a fantastic Halloween movie with a stellar cast and a plot that kept me interested the entire time.
