IR Film Review: A HAUNTING IN VENICE [20th Century Studios]
The adventures of Hercules Poirot play on the texture of perception, location and deduction while still creating both a sense of time and tension. While the last two films directed and starring Kenneth Branagh understood their task, the style applied to "A Haunting In Venice” (enhanced for IMAX) really uses the approach as an exercise but also a classical progression of how such a film is done. While Branagh knows this character in and out, where we left Poirot at the end of "Death On The Nile" had him questioning the reasoning for doing what he was doing. The aspect of "Venice" has him as a continuing anti-hero but one who is reluctant because of the reflection of death upon both his conscience (and likely his perspective of a soul). This duality works very well in this story which is again taken from an Agatha Christie novel.
What sets this film apart is Branagh trying something more angled than he has recently been known for. The shots, not just on the locations of Venice, but inside one specific house is done for optimum effect. The effect is not necessarily scary at all but very cinematic and diametric. He also casts a little more obstusely this time allowing for some interesting misdirects and people who you think you know as viewer but perhaps do not. The trailers have been interesting to do this especially in keeping most of the names out. Kyle Allen who plays a certain paramour named Maxine looked like Joseph Gordon Levitt but wasn't. He also has the mannerisims, no doubt specified by Branagh, that play awfully close to Robert Sean Leonard (another Branagh alumni from "Much Ado About Nothing").
Camille Cotton, a French comedian, who plays a character named Olga has wisps of Penelope Cruz and others this reviewer could not place. Jamie Dornan is unrecognizable for the most part but plays against type. It is also good to see Jude Hill (very good in Branagh's recent "Belfast") play a ironic character to that but also a person who is under Branagh's tutelege. The use of other well known actors like Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh again are used as certain misdirects while the use of Kelly Reilly ("Yellowstone") and Emma Laird ("The Mayor Of Kingstown") shows the keen eye of casting directing Lucy Bevan to keep the whole aspect a guessing game. Branagh does keep a wisp of the mystical on the far end here but it also a tale of finding mojo in a spiritual world.
This is a film that is very economical but with a great setting without moving to rote. It feels different from the two other films and yet fits within the lexicon. Another interesting adjustment was using Hildur Guðnadóttir of "Joker" fame instead of Branagh's stalwart Patrick Doyle as composer. All these adjustments show that Branagh will try new things but with his vast experience (perhaps working more with Christopher Nolan recently might have inspired him as well). As a result despite some brilliant moments in his past few movies, the one is more memorable and distinctive. Granted IMAX might make the difference in framing but it does feels gothic. And despite all due respect to Branagh's "Frankenstein", it does feel like something new. A-
By Tim Wassberg
