A HAUNTING IN VENICE

UK, 2023, 106 minutes, Colour.

Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Kelly Reilly, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Kyle Allen, Ricardo Scamarcio, Camille Cottin, Emma Laird, Ali Khan, Rowan Robinson.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Everyone, well, almost everyone, enjoys an Agatha Christie story. And, enjoying a Poirot mystery, happy memories of Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov, played now for the third time by Kenneth Branagh.

Branagh, along with the screenwriter of his other Poirot films, Mike Green, have been wise to choose a rather little-known 1969 book by Agatha Christie, Hallowe’en Party. There are no comparisons with previous versions as they were with Branagh’s Orient Express and Death on the Nile, although there was the television version with David Suchet. However, the team have transferred the plot from England to Venice, 1947, Poirot in retirement, hounded by many Venetians to solve their cases, but he is reluctant.

Christie fans will remember Ariadne Oliver, Poirot’s novelist friend who, here, claims that by writing about him she promoted his career. And, in the often sardonic form of Tina Fey, there is some ironic dialogue. In fact, Ariadne Oliver is in Venice for a new book plot but also to urge Poirot into action again, taunting and challenging him, providing him with the situation, at Halloween, to participate in a seance, to raise the spirit of a young woman who has committed suicide, diving into a canal, daughter of a once famous opera singer.

So, lots of Venetian atmosphere, wonderful vistas of the city, gondolas on the canal, children gathering at an old Palazzo to celebrate Halloween. But, of course, Poirot is not only sceptical but has some speeches about having lost any belief in the soul and, therefore, in God. But, he is in for a few jolts!

Most of the action takes place overnight, the arrival of the medium, Michelle Yeoh, the welcomed by the singer, Kelly Reilly, the doctor suffering from World War II PTSD, Jamie Dornan, his ultra-precocious, Poe-reading son, Jude Hill (both of them so striking in Branagh’s autobiographical film, Belfast). And there are more suspects when there are more murders – the former fiance of the dead girl whom the mother loathes and who seems to be a fortune hunter, the medium’s two assistants, war refugees who kept seeing only half of Meet Me in Saint Louis in the refugee camps, but a desire to migrate to Missouri!, Olga, former nun, carer for the dead girl, and there is also the former policeman, now Poirot’s bodyguard, played by Ricardo Scarmacio.

So, some weird seance sequences – and exposes. Some ghostly appearances. Even an attempt on Poirot’s life. Then, the interrogations, the issue of time and clocks, truth and lies. Of course, there are several twists with the murderer unmasked. But, just when we assume that everything had been solved, there is quite another twist in the final minutes!

Not the greatest – but an easy Christie-Poirot mystery entertainment.

1. The popularity of Poirot, Agatha Christie’s novels, the film versions, David Suchet and television versions, Kenneth Branagh as Poirot?
2. The original story, later Agatha Christie, 1969? Hallowe’en Party? Transferring the plot to Venice from the UK?
3. The city of Venice, the variety of vistas, St Mark’s, the canals, the bridges, panoramic views? The focus on the Palazzo, exteriors, interiors, old, decaying, atmosphere?
4. Kenneth Branagh as Poirot, 1947, his career, retirement to Venice? The lineup of people for his services? Refusing the more? The visit of Ariadne Oliver, the past, her novels, promoting Poirot? Her wanting to write a new book, her story, the suicide of the girl, her family, the investigation, the seance? Tantalising Poirot and challenging him?
5. Hallowe’en in Venice, costumes, masks, the children, the party, games, enjoyment?
6. The situation, the Opera singer, her daughter, the daughter’s engagement, at home, her suicide, Olga and her care, grief? The alienated fiance, the break, his wanting to marry money?
7. The setting up of the seance, Mrs Reynolds, her personality, claiming authenticity, her two assistants, her arrival, indicating sensing the presence of ghosts? The third floor, her trance, everybody around the table, Poirot observing and sceptical? The procedure, the typewriter, the letters, the trance, the voice? Poirot and the expose, the mechanism for the typewriter, shamed? And Mrs Reynolds later found dead, transfixed?
8. Poirot, sceptical, observing, character assessment? The discussions about the supernatural, about logic? Extending to religious discussion, especially about the presence of God? Poirot against God? Ariadne Oliver and her comments?
9. The behaviour in the house, the action overnight, midnight, clocks, timing, Poirot and his wariness, the apples in the water, his being pushed under water, saved?
10. The range of suspects and the plausibility of their being the murderer of the daughter, the murderer?
11. Mrs Reynolds’ assistants, post-war refugees, supporting her, the money, their wanting to get to Missouri, having seen half of Meet Me in Saint Louis…? Their interrogations, separate, together, contradictions?
12. The fiance, his background, relationship with the dead girl, the animosity of her mother? In the kitchen, the interrogation?
13. Olga, in the family, a former nun, motives for leaving the convent, her care, concern?
14. The police officer, employed by Poirot’s bodyguard, his career, the revelation that he investigated the suicide case, the connection with Ariadne Oliver, Poirot confronting her, the revelation of the teaming together to set up the seance, to get material for her new book?
15. The doctor, the experience in the war, nervy, treating the daughter, living in Venice, agitation, interrogation, his love for his son, his death?
16. The son, his age, reading Poe, sophisticated, observing, statements, fears, care for his father?
17. The mother, her Opera career, her daughter, devoting her life to her daughter, grief?
18. The final confrontation, Poirot and his explanations, but the effect on his psychological experiences, seeing the young girl, seeing her photo, the torn photo between her and the fiance, the sense of her presence? His scepticism?
19. The explanation, the timing, the mother and her possessiveness, cultivating the garden, the drugs, supplying them to her daughter, to keep her daughter to herself against the fiance, the effect on the daughter, Olga and her concern, unwittingly giving the daughter more poison, leading to the death? The doctor and his examination? The policeman and his investigation? The mother, the dead daughter, throwing her into the canal?
20. The resolution, Ariadne Oliver disappointed about not having the story for her novel, the unsympathetic fiance, Olga, the money, enabling the two refugees to go to Missouri?
21. The final twist, the issue of the phone call to the doctor, from within the house, the mother summoning him, his blackmailing, her hold over him, his killing himself?
22. In the final revelation that he was the boy who did the blackmailing of the mother, to get money for his father, an interesting twist at the end of the twists for an Agatha Christie story?