Review: A Haunting In Venice

A Haunting In Venice
Cert: 12A / 103 mins / Dir. Kenneth Branagh / Trailer

There are few images which evoke a perfect combination of civilisation and tranquility like the waterways of Venice, so it's not altogether inapt that we drop in on that city in a post-war setting as the celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is trying his best to adapt to a life of gentle retirement.

As for the haunting? Well, he's trying, that is, against the wishes of a subconscious still struggling to deal with psychoses from the world war before the recent one, followed by a civvy-street occupation that's involved being perpetually surrounded by All Of The Killing. It's no surprise that our hero's sense of reason is on the verge of collapsing. When Poirot attends a Halloween party in a palazzo reputed to be home to dozens of vengeful spirits, it makes for an uneasy evening. And when a visiting medium is murdered following an after-hours seance, well - that makes for a typical one...

STRING

And so to the third in this (frankly) troubled string of Kenneth Branagh's interpretations of Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth. I won't waste space here listing their particular failings, only to say that I approached this film with slightly more dread than was probably intended by 20th Century Studios. I don't necessarily consider myself as a Christie Purist™, but I also don't enjoy watching demonstrably inferior versions of the stories I love.

So I was more surprised than anyone when I found myself rather enjoying A Haunting In Venice. The story is a (very) loose retooling of 1969's Hallowe'en Party, but uses this more as a broad inspiration rather than source-text. And because of that distance between the novel and the screenplay, this has far more of an identity than the previous entries. There are far fewer 'small' inconsistencies to get caught up in when you're watching events unfold essentially for the first time.

EVERYTHING

Hildur Guðnadóttir's score, Haris Zambarloukos' cinematography and overall production design are firmly on the film's side, all managing to make an isolated, decaying multi-storey mansion still feel atmospherically sumptuous. And speaking of atmos, the sound editing appears to have been taking lessons from the school of Blumhouse for its deathly silences and subsequent jump-scares. That said, in terms of actual chills this is still more effective than most of the straight-up horror flicks of recent times.

Performances of the comparatively (and thankfully) pared-down ensemble cast are solid all round, even if they feel a little televisual in their melodramatic angst. Although with the very best will in the world Branagh's central turn is the weakest aspect of the whole thing (it's like he's hoping the audience will just accept him as Poirot through repeated exposure, rather than any persuasive craft on his part). We're three movies in and the man still sounds like he's auditioning for 'Allo 'Allo.

And if that's not enough to raise a smirk, there are enough high ceilings and falling chandeliers here to suggest that the palazzo isn't actually haunted, it's just got the Trotter family running about in the attic...

ONCE

Ken's Poirot movies have always worked best for audiences who are able to 'un-remember' previous versions of the story that's being told. A Haunting In Venice is no exception, and wisely assists the viewer by largely being its own - very respectable - thing. If this series is to continue (and it will, whether we like it or not), the way forward will be writing wholly original stories using familiar characters. Absolutely no shame in that, and far more scope for creativity.

Apart from anything else, you really have to admire the chutzpah of budgeting for a Venice location shoot and basing your PR around that, then having 95% of the movie take place indoors, at night, while it's raining too hard to see the scenery in the occasional cutaway exteriors.

Ken got his holiday, I see...

DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Review: Calvary

Calvary
Cert: 15 / 101 mins / Dir. John Michael McDonagh




Despite the rave reviews it's getting from pretty much everywhere, I have to say that I found John Michael McDonagh's Calvary to be a real mixed bag; and not necessarily in a good way. In the opening act, at least, there's a large proportion of incredibly funny, incredibly deadpan comedy, delivered with absolute perfection by Brendan Gleeson and the supporting cast. Gleeson's Father James Lavelle, after being issued a death-threat in a confessional, has just seven days to 'put his house in order', and we meet the eccentric collection of parishioners he has to deal with on a daily basis.

But as the week goes on and we spend more screen-time in each day, the sense of unease grows as the gentle mockery of Father James and the Catholic Church in general turns to outright malice. Throughout this, James knows who his would-be assassin is, discussing the matter with his bishop*¹ but not alluding the identity to the audience. Initially a sort of guessing game, the deeper the story goes, the more irrelevant this macguffin becomes, as the real issue is the smouldering resentment of the village that James calls his home.

The second and third acts also have humour, but it's more and more sparse, and feels less appropriate to laugh at, the closer to "Sunday week" we get. Measured, ponderous and increasingly claustrophobic, the powerful but reserved performances from the cast are quite outstanding, as the characters become more unlikeable the more they're shown. Calvary's script is very self aware, both in a screen-sense, and in capturing the harsh realities of the apparent general attitude to the church in the 21st century. It's never out-and-out disrespectful of the organisation, but seems like it's had its fill of undue deference (I can't really comment any more, as I have no personal experience with the Catholic Church or the issues raised in the film. And there are issues). The film becomes horrifically bleak at some points, and again I'm aware that this is completely intentional. Calvary is frequently hard work, and I'm afraid only you can decide if it's worth that.

As much as I admire what the film sets out to do (and undoubtedly achieves), I'd be hard pushed to say I enjoyed it. Then again, I'm not entirely sure I was supposed to. A film about faith, forgiveness and redemption, and not only in a religious sense, Calvary shows us Craggy Island filtered through the lens of bitterness, regret, yet ultimately tranquility.

Don't hate the game, hate the players.

Yep.



I kinda did, yes.



Almost certainly.



You'll lose nothing by watching this at home.



No.



I don't think I've got the strength to.



There isn't.

Is this film a sign that Chris O'Dowd can act when he puts his mind to it? Even if he is still just playing Chris O'Down in this?

*¹ I assume it's a bishop. Whatever, it's his 'boss'. Look, I don't know how the church works; I have Father Ted to go off, and that's it.

DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.

Review: Flight

Flight
Cert: 12A / 138 mins / Dir. Robert Zemeckis



For better or worse, the film you'll see is not as slick, zippy or clear-cut as that trailer. The pacing's uneven, the secondary characters are picked up and put down like a spoiled child's toys, and Washington does his damnedest (successfully so) to keep his character from being too likeable. It left me slightly drained, but it is good, just about 25 minutes too long.

So. Anyone fancy a pint?

…no.



Mostly.



Yes.



DVD.



No.



…no.



No.





DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.