Stylish Films: A Haunting In Venice

Last weekend, Kenneth Branagh returned with his latest Agatha Christie adaptation. A Haunting in Venice is based (very loosely it must be said) on Agatha’s ‘Halloween Party’, one of her lesser known books, , and the reviews are showing that this adaptation may well be his best yet. Branagh is definitely growing into the role of Poirot with each outing, and this thriller has supernatural elements that make it more of a chiller, a real treat as those Autumn nights draw in.

Loyal fans of Agatha will recognise elements of the original Halloween Party, including key character names like Joyce Reynolds and Rowena Drake. The action does take place at a Halloween Party for children, and it is Ariadne Oliver who gets Hercule involved in the case which is linked to a murder which occurred the previous year. But there, the similarities end, for whilst Agatha set her story in one of those cosy villages of which she was so fond, in Branagh’s adaptation, the action moves to Venice in 1947, a creepy, beautiful, atmospheric Venice which almost serves as a character itself.

I loved this film, despite being a huge fan of the original book, I love the changes, which give the whole story a real creepy, malevolence. Tina Fey is a fabulous, stylish Ariadne, totally a match for Poirot, and determined to finally get one over the famous, genius detective, whilst Kelly Reilly, who had previously featured in a ITV adaptation of Sad Cyprus, is perfect as the beautiful but tragic Rowena Drake. Michelle Yeoh once again proves to be a scene stealer as the medium Joyce Reynolds whilst Jamie Dornan shows a different side to his character as the war scarred doctor Dr Leslie Ferrier.

A Haunting in Venice is wonderfully cinematic, with lots of dark and shadows. The stormy night and the rising water levels all add to the claustrophobic atmosphere, as the protagonists are trapped in the crumbling palazzo with a killer amongst them. Kenneth Branagh has a huge hit on his hands with this adaptation, and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing where he heads next.

Sharing is caring!