A Haunting in Venice: Haunted Poirot

A Haunting in Venice features a haunted Poirot. The Belgian detective with the “mustaches” sees and hears a few ghosts in this film. Kenneth Branagh stars as Agatha Christie’s diminutive crime solver extraordinaire. This is not his first time donning the “stache.” He is in good company. 40 actors have portrayed Poirot over the years. *David Suchet holds the record playing the Belgian an incredible 70 times on British television.*

Branagh has played the sleuth three times. Twice in remakes and now this new movie based very loosely on Christie’s book Halloween Party. In many ways, apart from Poirot attempting to debunk a haunted piazza, this feels a little like “Mousetrap.” This West End stage production has been playing so long that it holds the world title of “longest running.”

Films, stage and television adaptations aside, Christie penned 33 novels and 51 short stories. All these tales have been about Poirot. There have also been 14 films made about the little Belgian with the gray cells. *Does anyone else feel the overwhelming compulsion to speak with a french accent after watching one of these?*

The story

A haunted Poirot is “hiding” in Venice. He refuses to solve crime. He is haunted by death. The neverending tide of corpses have driven him to a retirement of mediocrity. Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) entices Poirot out of his self imposed exile from crime.

There is an invitation to a party and a seance from the tragic Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). Her daughter died at the haunted piazza she owns. A world class medium; Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) will attempt to contact Drake’s daughter, Alicia. The main seance attendees include Poirot, Rowena, and Ariadne. The rest of this small party includes, Olga, Dr. Ferrier and his son Leopold as well as Maxime Gerard (The fiance who broke things off with Alicia.) Also along for the ride are Joyce’s assistants: Desdemona and Nicholas Holland and last but not least, the ex cop who protects Poirot from the world; Vitale Portfoglio.

After the party guests depart, this Halloween seance begins. Everyone sits but Poirot. His detecting is about to begin.

Everything else

The entire tone of this film is, in turns, moody, foreboding, dark and scary. The pallet of colour chosen by the director, along with the cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, is perfect for this haunted mystery that Poirot must solve.

Everyone brings something to the table here. However, it goes without saying that the winner of the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award in this brilliant offering from Branagh and writer Michael Green, is Jude Hill. This young actor almost steals the film. There is no point where eyes do not go immediately to him when he appears.

A Haunting in Venice has more twists than a Chubby Checker dance contest and some darn good scare scenes. Overall, this Christie adaptation is almost perfect.

We give this one a full 5 stars. Sure there are a few goofs here and there, but not enough to spoil this atmospheric nod to Poirot. It is streaming on Hulu at the moment. Head on over and check it out.