This is one of the few Suchet Poirot's to have some competition as an all star, big budget movie was made of 'Death On The Nile' some years ago with Peter Ustinov. This earlier film was one of the first screen adaptations of a Christie novel I ever saw and I retain a real affection for it. Perhaps its not surprising then that the first time I watched this new version I was really disappointed. I re watched it again very recently and enjoyed it much more.
POSSIBLE SMALL SPOILERS BELOW The style is very different from the earlier movie of course and once you tune into that you can enjoy it in its own right. Suchet is wonderful as always and plays the knowing humour in this version of Poirot very well. There is a generally excellent supporting cast (applause especially for Frances de la Tour, Alistair McKenzie and Daisy Donovan) but (and its a big but) the crucial central trio of Linnet, Jackie and Simon were a big let down for me. We all see things differently of course but I found the performances here quite wooden and unmoving. It was only in the very final flashback scene to happier times in Jackie's flat that I felt anything at all for the lovers.
There were one or two other strange things no doubt due to time constraints - for example, where did the relationship between Tim Allerton and Rosalie Otterbourne come from? Did we ever actually so much as see them together before that deck scene just at the end? It made Rosalie's decision to lie for him quite incomprehensible.
On the whole though, this was pretty good but not as good (in my opinion) as the earlier film which is a much grander affair all round and nails that important central trio right on the head.
POSSIBLE SMALL SPOILERS BELOW The style is very different from the earlier movie of course and once you tune into that you can enjoy it in its own right. Suchet is wonderful as always and plays the knowing humour in this version of Poirot very well. There is a generally excellent supporting cast (applause especially for Frances de la Tour, Alistair McKenzie and Daisy Donovan) but (and its a big but) the crucial central trio of Linnet, Jackie and Simon were a big let down for me. We all see things differently of course but I found the performances here quite wooden and unmoving. It was only in the very final flashback scene to happier times in Jackie's flat that I felt anything at all for the lovers.
There were one or two other strange things no doubt due to time constraints - for example, where did the relationship between Tim Allerton and Rosalie Otterbourne come from? Did we ever actually so much as see them together before that deck scene just at the end? It made Rosalie's decision to lie for him quite incomprehensible.
On the whole though, this was pretty good but not as good (in my opinion) as the earlier film which is a much grander affair all round and nails that important central trio right on the head.