Death on the Nile is a sumptuously filmed romp

In the case of Death On The Nile, director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green’s sequel to their polished adaptation of Murder On The Orient Express, we get nothing less than the origin story of that famous moustache. In one of the film’s most effective sub plots, Branagh adds intrigue and depth to Poirot’s backstory, setting out much of his eccentrics in the context of a monochrome Belgium during World War I.

Thereafter, things take a little while to get going, but once his star studded cast is all aboard there’s much fun to be had with Rose Leslie doing French, Annette Bening doing British, Jennifer Saunders doing American, and Russell Brand doing posh. For all that competition, however, it is Branagh’s Poirot that is the star of the show, fleshing out the character into something far more substantial than in the previous film, so that we understand, rather than simply chuckle at, his eccentricities.

It’s in the final act, when the body count starts to mount up, that the film really gets going, and if the story doesn’t always ring completely true, there is always the glorious scene-stealing backdrop to admire. Granted, considerable liberties have been taken with the source material, and some have been a tad snooty about this, but the book is still there for anyone who cares to investigate the true story. In the meanwhile, I would suggest enjoying this romp for the harmless fun it is.