A Haunting In Venice *****

Starring: Kyle Allen, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Rowan Robinson, Ricardo Scarmarcio, Amir El-Masry and Michelle Yeoh

Director: Sir Kenneth Branagh

Duration Running Time : (approx) 1 Hour 43 Minutes (103 Mins)

CERTIFICATION RATING CERTIFICATE : 12A

DISTRIBUTION : 20th Century Studios (Formerly 20th Century Fox), Kinberg Genre, The Mark Gordon Company, TSG Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, Agatha Christie Limited.

Once upon a time, 103 years ago, to be exact, Hercule Poirot, a fictional Belgian Detective, and created by Dame Agatha Christie, a British writer of the genre of crime, and was described by many as the 'GOLDEN AGE OF DETECTIVE FICTION'.

Poirot - in question - is one of Christie's most famous and also the long-running characters, appearing in at least 'thirty-three novels', 'two plays' - notably 'BLACK COFFEE' and 'ALIBI' - and also at least 'fifty -one' short stories that were originally published between 1920 -1975 - 'a mere fifty-five years' in total, also, just for the record, Christie, in question, also wrote at least 'six other novels' under the name of Mary Westmancott.

The character in question - has also appeared on the radio as well as film and television portrayed by various actors including the likes of Austin Trevor, John Moffatt, Albert Finney, Sir Peter Ustinov, Sir Ian Holm, - 'Bilbo Baggins' the old man featured in 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' AND 'THE HOBBIT TRILOGIES - directed by Sir Peter Jackson - the Oscar-Winning film director, - Tony Randall, Alfred Molina, Orson Welles, Sir David Suchet, John Malkovich - and also Sir Kenneth Branagh - himself.

But in January 1976, when Christie herself aged 85 years old,'passed away' at Winterbrook House, situated in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, and sold a staggering 'two billion books' in the process it seems neither Poirot with his 'INCREDIBLE LITTLE GREY CELLS' nor Christie known to many as 'THE QUEEN OF CRIME' in question, will of course ever go out of fashion.

However it's not surprising that Sir Kenneth Branagh will return to the big screen as actor/film director who once more reprises his role as Hercule Poirot, a complicated, vain and also a brilliant sleuth - 'for only the third time' - in 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' - for this in question happens to be 'THE THIRD AGATHA CHRISTIE FILM ADAPTATION' - after 'MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS' - the 2017 'remake' of the 1974 'original', directed by Sidney Lumet and featuring Finney, Salford's finest as the Belgian Detective - in question - and also 'DEATH ON THE NILE' - the 2022 'remake' of the 1978 'original' and directed by John Guillerman also featuring Ustinov who, by the way, also starred as the Belgian Detective - in question, plus 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' - is quite also a unique film - and has been described as - 'A SUPERNATURAL CHILLER' - which by the way, the film in question is genuinely quite stylish - and also very frightening to watch on the big screen.

But also as the film in question - sees Branagh depicts as Poirot - who this time that we - as -'the cinema audience' - in question soon discover - 'a very different side' that the Belgian Detective who basically is in fact - 'quite scared' - (when I was a very young boy - yours truly originally had a fear of needles - whenever I looked at one I would personally freeze up and also hide away in a dark corner terrified of what would happen next - but now if ever I have a Covid Jab - basically to 'stop the spread' and also 'save many lives' - I just stick my arm out - either left or right - it doesn't really matter what position I would do it in ! - and let them stick the needle in my arm - 'whatever my choice' - ' that's A TRUE FACT) - and also the fact that he's confronted by something that even Poirot - in question - cannot explain: as it turns out to be 'the ghosts of murdered children situated inside 'a spooky mansion' - of all things.

Now Branagh's previous films that were adaptations of Christie's 'well-known novels' consisting of 'MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS' and also 'DEATH ON THE NILE' and also where he portrayed Hercule Poirot - the Belgian Detective - in question - but also with 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' - then the concept of this instalment - is very different to the previous two best-selling books - in question.

However, to Christie's surprise, 'A Haunting In Venice' is very different to both 'Murder On The Orient Express' and also 'Death On The Nile' and takes her 41st novel 'Halloween Party' - originally published in 1969, which in turn, tells the story of a Halloween Party -in question thrown for some teenage kids and where things go horribly wrong and sadly for one child who subsequently ends up drowned of course in the bobbing for apples bucket - and also merged with 'The Last Seance' - a short story that was published way back in 1926.

Now, this short story - in question - from Christie was published as part of a compendium of at least 'twenty stories' - and features not only Poirot - but also Miss Jane Marple - another Christie creation - that not only involves many things involving the paranormal and also the occult - but which also gives us - as - 'the cinema audience' - a 'brand new tale' - and which also means that even the 'most die-hard Christie fans' - will also have to work out - 'whodunnit'.

Now in 'A Haunting In Venice' which will surprise many people because this is described as 'a horror film', 'a murder mystery' and also 'a suspense thriller' - all 'rolled into one blockbuster' of a movie - and that this action thriller takes place in Venice, 1947 - 'a decade - 'ten years' - after 'Death On The Nile' - this - in question - is where we meet a very different Poirot (Branagh), however, in the previous instalment, - notably - 'DEATH ON THE NILE' - the detective - in question - had been traumatised by the events of the First World War - WWI - but now there has been a 'second' - in question - which by the way is an even more devastating 'global' conflict than the first.

But also that haunted by the idea of death and also how it seems to follow him, Poirot has in fact decided to 'give up' the detective business altogether and has retired to Venice, this in question is where he meticulously tends to his garden,- aka - Alan Titchmarsh - eats plenty of pastries to his hearts content and imagines that he's auditioning for the part in question as one of the 'teletubbies' and also tries to avoid the Venetians and who desperately seek his help - this is in order that when in Venice, the weather outlook is actually choked in thick fog -that in question- is that he avoids paying 'the extra charge' just because he has relocated to enjoy his well earned rest as a tourist in Venice, and also meets Vitale, (Scarmarcio), an ex-cop, and who Poirot, in question, employs as his bodyguard.

Anyway Poirot's tranquilities of a well-earned rest is short-lived when he's disturbed by the arrival of an old acquaintance - notably Ariadne Oliver, (Fey), - an American crime writer who, by coincidence, happens to be in Venice as well- now the original character concerning Ariadne Oliver - in question - appeared in several of Christie's books - and is also believed to be a caricature of the writer - in question - herself.

But the main events of the film itself occur in just one stormy night, - of Halloween - (aka All Hallow's Eve -October 31st) - itself, when Ariadne invites Poirot to a seance - being conducted by Joyce Meadows (Yeoh), a Best Actress Oscar Winner for 'EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE' - Meadows in question - happens to be a medium - and that Reynolds in question is attempting to contact 'the dead daughter' of Rowena Drake, (Reilly), a grieving opera singer - at - a 'haunted' Venetian palazzo, but soon events of what's about to happen involves not only a scream - and also a murder - in question

However, in question - this all leaves even Poirot confused - as even that he can feel the presence of 'murdered children' that are said to haunt the palazzo - in question - with a hint of 'deaths' that are trapped inside the walls in the palazzo, and as it also turns out that an artist such as Branagh in question has of course 'plenty of roots within the illusionists' and also a symbolic world of the Shakespearian theatre, who has already adapted Mary Shelley's 'FRANKENSTEIN' - 1994 - a sci -fi movie and which also featured a certain Robert De Niro as the monster ( aka 'THE CREATION') in question alongside Branagh as Victor Frankenstein ( aka 'THE CREATOR') who creates a new form of creature - in question - that's originally composed of various corpses' body parts - or should it be - from beyond the graves found inside many corpses' - in question.

But also that Branagh himself has turned this classic story into a capable chiller that's also turns out to be a classic in the horror genre - this horror movie in question - has echoes of 'THE INNOCENTS' - 1961 - plus 'DON'T LOOK NOW - 1973 - directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from the 1971 'short-story' by Daphne du Maurier and featuring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie - ironically is also set in Venice - and which turns out to be really quite scary when it needs to be, and however all the ingredients that contain many gimmicks have finally come home.

Interestingly, 'DON'T LOOK NOW' - in question - was in fact 'marketed' as - 'a psychic thriller' - and was originally 'released' on October 16, 1973, in London's West End, however, a few weeks later, 'DON'T LOOK NOW' - 'the film in question' - was released 'NATIONWIDE' - only this time as 'THE MAIN FEATURE' of a 'DOUBLE BILL' - with 'THE WICKER MAN' directed by Robin Hardy and also released in 1973 - 'the same year' - featuring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and Diane Cliento .

Now 'THE WICKER MAN' - in question - was in fact - its accompanying 'B' feature - aka 'THE SUPPORTING FEATURE' - ie : this would be shown first on the 'DOUBLE-BILL' -and also like 'DON'T LOOK NOW' -'THE WICKER MAN' - in question - went on to achieve 'GREAT ACCLAIM' - in their own right.

However, both 'THE TWO FILMS' - in question - have 'THEMATIC SIMILARITIES' - and also that both of these films - in question - end with their 'protagonists' being led to 'preordained' fates - by 'a child' - in question - they believe to be helping - and both of these films are celebrating its '50TH' ANNIVERSARY since their original cinema release - back in 1973.

Now the all-star cast of 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' in this 'supernatural frightener' also includes Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill - these are two of the stars that featured in 'BELFAST' - ironically directed by Branagh and also won Branagh an Academy Award 'aka' the Oscar for Original Screenplay, both Dornan and Hill are in fact 'reunited' in this - as Dornan portrays Leslie Ferrier, a troubled family doctor who not only is related to Rowena in question - but also has his own troubles to deal with in his life - such as what he originally saw in the First World War - WWI - in question - while Jude -in question - portrayed Leopold - the son of the doctor - in question, and that this was beautiful to reunite both Dornan and Hill in this as they 'get along' and also 'tease each other' in this supernatural chiller-thriller.

Ironically Hill's character in 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' gets 'HALLOWEEN PARTY' - the book written by Christie herself - as a 'CHRISTMAS PRESENT' - 'the book that - 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' - the book in question - is also based upon.

However, according to Branagh - he explains that although Jamie and Jude in question play father and son - in this - that they couldn't be more different from the roles in question that they had in 'BELFAST' featuring the outstanding soundtrack by Van Morrison and also in which both Dornan and Hill - in question - both appeared also featured Ciaran Hinds, Dame Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe and Colin Morgan - star of 'MERLIN' - which by the way is a British 'coming of age' drama, written and directed by Branagh and also which Branagh - in question - has described this as his 'most personal' by following Buddy (Hill), a young boy's childhood at the beginning of 'THE TROUBLES - back in 1969' - this was in fact a 'conflict' in Northern Ireland that lasted at least 'thirty years' from the late 1960's right through to 1998.

'BELFAST' - released in 2021, was nominated for 'SEVEN ACADEMY AWARDS' - aka 'OSCARS' - in question - including 'BEST PICTURE', 'BEST DIRECTOR', 'BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR' - Ciaran Hinds and 'BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS' - Dame Judi Dench - who by the way Dench - in question - became 'the second oldest actress' in the category for 'BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS' after Gloria Stuart was also nominated for the same category for her role as Rose Dawson Calvert - 'the old lady' in 'TITANIC' - directed by James Cameron in 1997, while Branagh - in question - became 'THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL' to have been nominated at least 'SEVEN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES' - with his nominations in the 'BEST PICTURE' as well as the 'BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY' categories - 'which by the way' - HE WON IT ! for his unique work of the film in question.

As usual 'A HAUNTING IN VENICE' has all the ingredients of a supernatural thriller - I originally saw this in 'IMAX'- which if you get to see it in this format - is 'highly recommended' - at the Cineworld Ashton - other movie theaters are also available where as in the big movie theater - in question - and also I had a great vantage point situated inside - that the sound and also the quality of the picture - in question - is indeed first class, plus the editing, the photography plus the screenplay by Michael Green is outstanding, and even the performances by all concerned lean occasionally into a heightened theatre dinner with plenty of lines that's delivered out and also towards 'the packed movie audience', but also Branagh as Poirot continues to be a welcome presence : a slighty romanticised depiction of the Belgian Detective - in question , who's self-aware enough with his accent, and also his double-decker of his moustache, which is quite exciting to watch the detective at work.

This is one supernatural chiller of a thriller that'll have you gripped not only from start to finish - but also you will be aware that this is also classed as a horror movie - this is simply classed as a 12A Certification - and which will simply chill you to the bones and also have you jumping out of your seats, as we approach the dark months ahead this is one the best experiences watching this in a movie theater.

I also have to tell you that this is in fact - one of my top 'three' movies of 2023.

Welcome to the first blockbuster movie of Autumn 2023.

Don't Miss It !

David M.G.Mitchell.