Review: ‘A Haunting in Venice’ is a spooky shot in the arm for Branagh’s Poirot

A Haunting in Venice

It is rare for a film series to improve its footing 3 movies in. But that is precisely what Kenneth Branagh has accomplished with this year’s A Haunting in Venice, his 3rd directing / starring outing as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot (after 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and 2022’s Death on the Nile.) This is a focused and taut film that benefits immensely from both its gorgeous location and more supernatural tone compared to past films. While Agatha Christie obsessives may leave wishing for a more of a standard murder-plot adventure, many will find this a thrilling kick-off for the 2023 Halloween season.

The film directly follows 2022’s Death on the Nile and finds Detective Poirot enjoying retirement within the canals of Venice. His services are still in great demand (as evidenced by the constant line of hopeful clients) but he has lost his faith. When he is approached by his old friend and novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey, in a thinly veiled nod to author Agatha Christie), we know it can’t be long before the body count begins to climb.

As with the previous 2 films, the cast is stacked top to bottom. Despite the big-name actors, the characters outside Poirot are all thinly drawn. Kelly Reilly smolders as the grieving mother. Tina Fey gets a good laugh line or two as the Agatha Christie stand-in. Michelle Yeoh is the standout as the potential medium Joyce Reynolds, the only character that is really allowed to go toe to toe with Poirot (and even then, only briefly)

While the characters are thin, the atmosphere and cinematography of the film are incredibly lush – they are the real stars of the show. I would have bet you good money this film had a different cinematographer from the last two – the difference in style is night and day. But it is still Haris Zambarloukos at the helm, so all I can say is keep it up! Venice does a lot of the heavy lifting, of course, but there’s more to it than that. The first two films leveraged green-screen extensively, whereas Haunting is grounded and has a sense of place. The tone of the film is much more focused, and almost every scene contains rich imagery. I loved the way the suspense of the potential supernatural was implied in every scene – walls and windows of the palazzo creak and seem alive in a manner reminiscent of old Hollywood. No need for CGI thrills here. How great was the imagery? I could watch this movie with absolutely no dialogue and still enjoy myself immensely.

For many, the joy of a mystery film is in figuring out the solution before the detective. The case at the core of Haunting may not be complicated enough to satisfy all the sleuths in the theater, but the film is good enough they’ll certainly get another chance to see Poirot in action very soon. Here’s hoping the arthouse vibe of the series is here to stay!


The unsettling supernatural thriller based upon the novel “Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie and directed by and starring Oscar® winner Kenneth Branagh as famed detective Hercule Poirot, will open in theaters nationwide on September 15, 2023.

“A Haunting in Venice” is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, “A Haunting in Venice” is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.

Reuniting the team of filmmakers behind 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile,” the film is directed by Kenneth Branagh with a screenplay by Oscar® nominee Michael Green (“Logan”) based upon Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party. The producers are Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Ridley Scott, and Simon Kinberg, with Louise Killin, James Prichard, and Mark Gordon serving as executive producers. A brilliant acting ensemble portrays a cast of unforgettable characters, including Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen (“Rosaline”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”), Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Jude Hill (“Belfast”), Ali Khan (“6 Underground”), Emma Laird (“Mayor of Kingstown”), Kelly Reilly (“Yellowstone”), Riccardo Scamarcio (“Caravaggio’s Shadow”), and recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”).


 

Tribeca Film Festival: ‘Untogether’ is a intertwining modern romance

Untogether
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Emma Forrest
Writer: Emma Forrest
Starring: Scott Caan, Jennifer Grey, Alice Eve, Billy Crystal, Ben Mendelsohn, Lola Kirke, Jemima Kirke, Jamie Dornan
Former writing prodigy Andrea tries not to fall for her one-night stand, while her sister Lisa throws herself into a newfound religious zeal (and the arms of her charismatic rabbi) to avoid the truth about her current relationship in this multi-character romantic drama.

Shockingly, no distribution as of posting.

Full of flawed characters in complicated situations, you’ll be infuriated by their actions, but want to see what they do next. The sisters of Jemima and Lola Kirke play sisters and capitalize on that familiarity making for great scenes. The best part, however, was Ben Mendelson in a fantastic role of a good boyfriend. Finally, not a bad guy.

The trailer for ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ has arrived

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The trailer for Fifty Shades Darkerfeaturing the song “Crazy in Love” performed by Miguel, has just debuted online and we have it for you!

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Darker, the second chapter based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015’s blockbuster film that grossed more than $560 million globally, the new installment arrives for Valentine’s Day and invites you to slip into something a shade darker.

When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.

Also returning from Fifty Shades of Grey are Academy Award® winner Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford and Max Martini, who are joined for the first time by Oscar® winner Kim Basinger, Hugh Dancy, Bella Heathcote and Eric Johnson.

Fifty Shades Darker is directed by James Foley (Fear, House of Cards) and once again produced by Michael De Luca, Dana Brunetti and Marcus Viscidi, alongside E L James, the creator of the culture-spanning blockbuster series. The screenplay is by Niall Leonard, based on the book by James.

In Theaters February 10, 2017

With or Without Reading the Book, The Shocking Part About ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Is That We Liked It

Fifth Shades of Grey poster

Liz has read the book, but Melissa hasn’t. Here’s their individual takes on the movie they were totally surprised by.


 

Melissa Hanson aka Dial M For Melissa
Managing Editor / Podcast Producer
Growing up, Melissa’s favorite destination was always the video store and would agonize over whether to watch something new or to rewatch a favorite. Things have not changed.
Follow on Twitter @DialMForMelissa 

I did not read the books. Once the hype started, I pretty much dismissed them and the movie announced. I had a few friends read it, and did try to read it myself, but couldn’t get past a few pages. All I knew was that there’s a “plain,” innocent girl and there’s a rich guy who’s into BDSM. Oh, and people (mostly women) are going nuts over it and it’s already selling out screenings. I didn’t really pay much attention to it and had zero interest in watching, but then, I saw Jamie Dornan is Christian Grey. This piqued my interest because he’s in the Netflix series, The Fall, which I absolutely love. Ok, so I’ll watch Fifty Shades of Grey.

Here’s the big shock: it’s actually a very interesting story of a man and woman who surprisingly talk about their relationship intimacy. It’s just disguised as sex. This could have been shown at a film festival and I wouldn’t have even known the difference.

Although it’s a little drawn out and definitely crawls in the third act, it keeps your interest. The dialogue starts out a little flat, but quickly picks up once the focus is just on Anastasia and Christian. The music and score is works beautifully. The remix of “Crazy In Love” by Beyoncé is magnificent.

When it comes to the sex, it’s really nothing shocking. The most shocking parts are the conversations they have TALKING about the sex. If you want to see a shocking sex scene, just watch The Counselor and wait for Cameron Diaz to get on top of a car.


FSG_Tsr1Sht_RGB_1103_2_rgbLiz Whittemore aka IndieBizLiz
Managing Editor / Girls on Film Podcast Host
Actor / Singer / Dancer / Writer / Producer / Adventurer / New Englander / AMDA Alum / Wifey / MBAMrs / Whovian / Literary Sponge / Odd Duck / Pot Stirrer / Awesome Gal
Follow on Twitter @Liz_Whittemore

Yes. I read the damn book. In fact, I read the book in a book club at Yale School of Management’s Partners Club. I know, I know, I know, I sound like a cliche. We most definitely read it because of the hype. It could not be avoided, the hype I mean. BDSM and hot sexy “Mummy Porn”? I mean, is there really a question as to why we chose it? I don’t think so. To be honest, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the writing is atrocious. E.L. James began this “novel” as Twilight Fan fiction. I’m not sure if Christian Grey was meant to resemble Edward Cullen or not, though I do know that Robert Pattinson was James’ first pick to fill the role. Let’s just say that the entire book is from the inner monologue of Anastasia, a fresh faced college grad and virgin. Although, from the inner monologue presented by the author, you’d think she was 11. The book was a tough read in respect to the repetitive nature of James’ phrasing. If I had to read “My Inner Goddess” one more damn time, I don’t know if I ever would have finished. The infamous “tampon” scene alone made me toss my kindle across the bed. I didn’t pick the book back up for another three weeks; I hate to leave something unread simply on principle. Thankfully, that was not included in the film. Now, shall we launch into said version? I think we shall…

Truth be told, I actually REALLY liked the film. I don’t even care what you think about me after that statement. I liked it. Had there been zero hype, had I not ever heard of the book, had I not read any articles anywhere, I would be one happy audience member. The structure of the film versus the book is a vast improvement. We skip through the garbage and head straight into a courtship with a twist. It has a very tongue and cheek, rom-com formula in the beginning. Dakota Johnson is charming and funny, just the way I imagined Ana to be, without the gushing jargon of a pre-teen. Jamie Dornan is a pretty good Christian Grey. He grew on me as the film rolled on. His presence is strong and quiet and I think his interpretation is a thoroughly thought out character study. It is certainly a performance that would easily progress with two additional scripts. The chemistry is a tad tough to read, but not altogether unbelievable.

When you get to the heart of the screenplay, this story is about an intimate relationship between two people. Real moments, real issues, something for everyone to relate to. The sex scenes, while relatively intense, are no more “porny” than anything else we’ve seen before in film. Johnson is full frontal nude for a good amount of time. And, don’t worry, you get plenty of Dornan abs, and just enough rock hard bum shots a girl can handle in a span of two hours (*not enough, sorry not sorry*.) The struggle of power between a man and a woman, both emotionally and physically, is beautifully set out on screen. I applaud Sam Taylor-Johnson for a fantastic job in both shot layout and a keen hand in knowing what will play well with the intended audience. Also, I would be remiss if I did not high five the screenwriter, Kelly Marcel. She takes an average narrative and spins it into what would be considered a great little indie flick in any other world. Try your best to separate the book and the film. I think as a reader, you will be very pleased with Fifty Shades of Grey. As a movie goer, it will put a smile on your face. Take it at face value, and go from there. I, for one, walked away a happy book-clubber and a very happy audience member.

New ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Featurette Released

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Can’t wait for this weekend? Universal Pictures brings us a new featurette for Fifty Shades of Grey to tide you over. Check it out in the player below!

The film stars Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford, Max Martini, Rita Ora, Marcia Gay Harden, Callum Keith Rennie and is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson

Opening in theaters this a Friday with special screenings Thursday night.

 

NEW TRAILER: ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Has “B Movie” Written All Over It And Maybe That’s OK

Fifth Shades of Grey poster

I only have a basic familiarity Fifty Shades of Grey from all the hype after the book release, but I was curious to see what all the fuss is about so I decided to check out the trailer that debuted this morning. 

It’s not nearly as cheesy as I had expected, but I’m not going to seek it out.

Will people go to the theaters to see this? Hmm… I’m going to guess that this will do much better on demand, but that remains to be seen.

Written by a woman, directed by a woman and screenplay by a woman. That’s what I’m excited about.

Fifth Shades of Grey is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon. Since its release, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has been translated in 52 languages worldwide and sold more than 90 million copies in e-book and print—making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever. Read More →