Almost There: Myrna Loy in "The Thin Man"

by Cláudio Alves

A story of revisits and returns. The Criterion Channel's current Myrna Loy Collection provides us with an ideal opportunty to discuss the the Old Hollywood star. This marks her as the first performer to have three episodes in the Almost There series. So it's time to delve into two of my favorite subjects: The Thin Man franchise and the chaotic Best Actress category of 1934. For the latter, you can check out the analysis of Bette Davis' historical snub in Of Human Bondage. For the former, I once reviewed the first Thin Man movie, describing its star power and alluding to the sequels' decreasing merits, all eminently entertaining despite their drop in quality.

After reading those pieces for some added context, come back to explore the specificities of Myrna Loy's rightfully legendary turn as Nora Charles…

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POWER RANKING - The Many Faces of "Death on the Nile"

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)...

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Was Peter Ustinov the best Poirot?

by Cláudio Alves

Growing up in a house furnished with the complete written works of Agatha Christie made me a fan of the whodunnit genre from a young age. My mum, an unabashed fan of criminal narratives and detective stories, made sure I was familiar with the figure of Hercule Poirot and, eventually, I too became a fan. While we've long spent joyful evenings sharing our love for the adventures of Belgium's most excellent fictional investigator, we don't always agree about this entertainment.

For instance, our idea of who the perfect on-screen Poirot  differs significantly. Her heart belongs to David Suchet's book-faithful incarnation, while I prefer Peter Ustinov's joyful take on the same character. On the centennial of the the two-time Oscar-winning thespian, I thought I could elaborate on why Ustinov is my perfect Poirot…

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Nicole in HBO's "The Undoing"

by Eric Blume

There are few things in life more exquisite than watching Nicole Kidman unravel.  And she does so with her usual panache in the new HBO miniseries The Undoing, from director Susanne Bier.  

HBO is releasing the six episodes week by week, so we're currently only two episodes in, but what we have on our hands with The Undoing is a genuine potboiler!  The program slowly lays out its icy upper east side NYC terrain with careful deliberation, only to end the initial episode with a fun corker that sets Nicole into a fiery actressy spiral...

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The New Classics: Gosford Park

Hey everyone. Michael Cusumano here. If you've got to be trapped inside, why not be trapped inside with thirty or so of the greatest British actors ever? 18-year-old mystery spoilers ahead!

 

Scene: The Murder of Willam McCordle 
I don’t think you count yourself as having seen a Robert Altman film unless you’ve seen it three times, minimum. All great films expand on rewatch, but Altman movies transform, accumulating power as additional dimensions come into focus. In no film is this more apparent than his late-period masterwork, Gosford Park...

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