Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is a Belgian veteran of World War I. He is on vacation in Egypt in the company of an elite group of travelers. When a murder takes place on their boat, he makes it his mission to investigate the case and hopefully solve it. It was not clear to me why a fellow traveler can just appoint himself to law enforcement, but that’s just a fine point. It’s a movie, right?
Of course, the cinematography is amazing. Who is not impressed with the backdrop of the pyramids of Giza? There are even some pictures of people climbing the pyramids. Everyone is always impeccably dressed in white suits and colorful, elaborate dresses and hats. If I traveled in Egypt, I’d be wearing a T-shirt, khakis and sandals or hiking boots. The movie makes a strong impression of the period which is sometime after WW I.
While the story is sometimes cheesy and stilted, the glamor makes up for it, and the plot is very carefully constructed, as is almost always the case with a murder mystery. We have seen hundreds of whodunnit movies, and this is just another one. It follows all the tricks and the playbook.
Still, it’s a great movie and an adventure to watch.
3.5 stars
Certainly a more profound version that the one from 1978. I felt for Gal Gadot’s Lynett so much more than I could for Lois Chiles’. From a most unexpected beginning to a most heartfelt finale and especially for Poirot, this film gave me faith that remakes can still sometimes be a good idea in our entertainment. Thanks for your review.
For me it was not a remake. I didn’t see the 1978 version, so there was no expectation or encumbrance. Thanks for sharing, Mike!
Even with Peter Ustinov’s brilliance as Poirot for the original, and a great cast that had Mia Farrow, George Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis and Maggie Smith, it could not hold up over time as much as this new version would.