By Christopher James
Which member of the "Death on the Nile" is capable of murder? Only Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) can crack the case.
Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? Kenneth Branagh returns to fill the shoes (and moustache) of the legendary Agatha Christie character Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile, which opened in theaters this past weekend. Branagh’s stern detective finds himself aboard a glorious ship, S.S. Karnak, chartered to celebrate the nuptials of Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer). Their event is marred by death, and everyone is a suspect.
A murder mystery is only as good as its suspects, and Death on the Nile is bursting with persons celebrities of interest. So which suspects turned up the heat, and which others floundered about? Read for our power rankings of the cast (some spoilers ahead)...
12. Rose Leslie as Louise Bourget, The Maid
Someone seems to have gone to the Gaga-Leto school for accents. It’s not simply that Rose Leslie’s French accent is nearly indecipherable. All the accents in Death on the Nile are all over the place, arched to high heaven. It’s that she never has fun with the goofiness of her character. While it’s hard to let loose while one is at work, Louise always reads as comatose. She doesn’t even really sell the greed we are supposed to register with Louise, as she covets Linnet’s necklace and other sparkly things.
11. Russell Brand as Linus Windlesham, The Lord
Would you believe Russell Brand as a doctor? No? Neither do we. Brand is given so little to do that he barely warrants an introduction. He has no hope of pulling focus from Annette Bening, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Sophie Okonedo. In fact, most of his characterization comes from other characters telling him about himself and his motives. Say what you will about his performances in Get Him to the Greek and Arthur, but at least for a while he had some energy onscreen. Here, Linus Windlesham is just a vacant body taking up space on the Karnak.
10. Ali Fazal as Andrew Katchadourian, The Cousin
One of the dangers in being in an Agatha Christie ensemble is becoming one-note filler. That fate befalls Ali Fazal’s agitated cousin Andrew Katchadourian. He’s a lawyer who’s been skimming off the top of Linnet’s finances. The only note Fazal plays is anger. It makes him too easy of a target and never fun enough to spend time with. There’s never more to the character than meets the eye.
9. Armie Hammer as Simon Doyle, The Husband
Let’s address the elephant in the room -- yes, it often looked like he wants to eat Gal Godot. Kidding aside, it is hard to not bring one’s baggage when assessing Armie Hammer’s performance. The role of Simon Doyle is meant to coast on his star persona, a sweatily handsome social climber with a dangerous level of sexual charisma. In many ways, Hammer personifies that to a tee. Still, one can’t help but think Hammer is coasting throughout the film, letting the audience fill in the blanks of the character rather than constructing his own vision of Simon. Much like the marketing department, we would like to skip over Armie Hammer.
8. Letitia Wright as Rosalie Otterbourne, The Manager
When we meet Rosalie, she’s insisting her Aunt Salome (Sophie Okonedo) be paid upfront for her singing engagement. Right off the bat, we see her as a no-nonsense businesswoman and are strapped in for a good time. That doesn’t exactly pay off once the plot comes into motion on the Karnak. Wright opts to fade into the background for most of the running time. It’s said that she’s a close friend of Linnet’s, but there is not a single moment or any spark between the actresses to suggest this. Wright is best used as the love interest for spoiled rich kid Bouc (Tom Bateman). That’s not because her and Bouc have any palpable sexual chemistry (they don’t). After Poirot tries to convince Bouc’s stuck up Mother (Annette Bening) of Rosalie’s fitness as a wife for Bouc, Rosalie storms away. She issues a cutting dressing down of Poirot that feels both from a different film but also more interesting than anything else she’s done up to this point. More fire and indignation could’ve taken this role to the next level.
7. Tom Bateman as Bouc, The Associate
The best moments from Bouc come with his introduction. The irresponsible rich boy is first seen flying kites on the Egyptian pyramids. We soon find out he’s a kept man, only to learn he’s kept by his Mother, played by Annette Bening. Bateman does a great job teasing out Bouc’s naivety and joie de vivre. Unfortunately, he never finds ways to vary it up. Once the titular death happens, Bouc assumes the role as sidekick to Poriot, only to fade into the background almost entirely. When given a subplot as Rosalie’s beau, it’s Wright who does the heavy lifting. As the third act closes and we build to the climax, Bateman’s Bouc becomes the movie’s emotional force. As charming as he is in spurts, he never gives us enough to justify his character’s outsized place in the film and in Poirot’s mind.
6. Annette Bening as Euphemia Bouc, The Mother
The great Annette Bening could do the role of Euphemia in her sleep. Just because she can, doesn’t mean she should. Her role as a disapproving Mother could’ve been laced with more lacerating barbs and general menace. If anything, she comes across as standoffish more than threatening. One of the throughlines for her character is her love of painting. Bening does a great job physically making herself present in the frame, setting up her easel in places and during times when it is not convenient at all.
5. Gal Gadot as Linnet Ridgeway, The Bride
It’s less that Gal Gadot gives a great performance in Death on the Nile. Moreso, that she’s perfectly used. As the wealthy beyond belief Linnet Ridgeway, Gadot needs to be simultaneously magnanimous and repellent. The actress’ awkwardness, particularly in her line readings, aid the characterization of Linnet. We want to spend more time with her opulence and goofiness, even if she drives us mad. Every member of the ensemble needs to have strong feelings about Linnet in order for the story to work. Gadot makes it easy to see how everyone’s opinions graft onto her. She’s an important central mechanism that drives the movie forward.
Also, let’s all say it together: “And enough champagne… to fill the Nile.”
4. Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, The Detective
Branagh is the central force of the whole operation. As such he should be having more fun with this character. Many of the characters, in a state of defensiveness, chastise Poirot for his narcissism and know-it-all-behavior. That’s not incredibly present in Branagh’s more exasperated Poirot. Still, he knows how to deliver a final monologue and keep us engaged the entire film. Today, movies always have to up the ante on stakes to a degree that is unsustainable. What’s great about Poirot is this feels like just another case to him that he has stumbled upon. A confusing opening in World War 1 pays off with a sweet coda in the final scene of the film. Poirot still gets to have perspective and an emotional arc, even if Death on the Nile may feel like just another job.
3. Emma Mackey as Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellefort, The Lover
The Sex Education star makes Jackie both alluring and dangerous. When we meet her in a British nightclub, Jackie is head over heels for Simon Doyle. The minute she introduces him to Linnet, she realizes she’s sealed her fate. Upon arriving in Egypt, Jackie casts a dark specter of a woman scorned, and she wears it well. In fact, there’s as much laughter as there is pain on her face as she watches the man she loved marry her best friend. Is it a tired archetype? For sure. Does Mackey give it a few more notes to make it feel fresh? Yes she does.
2. Jennifer Saunders as Marie Van Schuyler, The Aristocrat; and Dawn French as Bowers, The Nurse
It’s impossible to talk about Jennifer Saunders without talking about Dawn French, and vice versa. The two women are a package deal, in more ways than one. Right out the gate, both of them earn laughs while perfectly establishing who their characters are. Saunders’ lavish Marie Van Schuyler bemoans Linnet’s excess watching valets carry her suitcases. She insists on carrying her own herself to stay true to her Communist roots. Her nurse and companion, Bowers, rolls her eyes on cue, as if this has happened ten times already that day. Saunders and French have terrific chemistry and comic timing that serves them well as passengers who each have their own motives for offing one of the members on the ship. They know how to make their characterizations feel like actual people, rather than a collection of two to three personality traits.
1. Sophie Okonedo as Salome Otterbourne, The Singer
Someone understood the assignment. From the first moments we see Okonedo’s Salome step on stage and scene, we know right away what movie we are in. She feels like a Clue game piece come to life. Her face can contort from a snarl to a laugh with breakneck speed. More than anything, Salome never objects to being a suspect. First and foremost, she’s a fan of Poirot. Secondly, she delights in the interrogation, answering every question with gusto and fervor. Game recognizes game. In (the few) shots that utilize the whole cast, your eye will always go straight to Sophie Okonedo. She’s always in character, reacting at the exactly right heightened pitch. The movie could’ve used a few more performers willing to swing for the fences in a similar way.
Overall Thoughts
Sometimes the simplest movie can hit just the right spot. Death on the Nile hardly breaks any new ground. Yet, the star studded whodunnit is a perfectly watchable mystery filled with fun personalities and frequent revelations. While not all performances are up to snuff, there’s enough good stuff to justify the film’s existence.
While Branagh once again succeeds at bringing Poirot to life, his work behind the camera is much more lacking. A recurring visual motif finds the camera looking through mirrors, obscuring the scenes filled with actors interacting. There are plenty of other flashy visual choices that are more for showboating than offering clarity. In the first act, when we are gallivanting around pyramids and lavish hotels, Branagh fantastically conveys the scale of the landscape. Unfortunately, this bright, jetsetting panache doesn’t last too long once we’re on the Nile.
Death on the Nile is far from the most memorable movie of the year. Yet, there are worse ways one can spend two hours out at the movies. Pop some champagne (maybe even enough to fill the Nile) and have a fun time solving the murder. B-
Who were your favorite cast members in Death on the Nile? Were you satisfied with the movie?