POWER RANKING - The Many Faces of "Death on the Nile"
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 8:00PM
By Christopher James
Which member of the "Death on the Nile" is capable of murder? Only Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) can crack the case.
Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? Kenneth Branagh returns to fill the shoes (and moustache) of the legendary Agatha Christie character Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile, which opened in theaters this past weekend. Branagh’s stern detective finds himself aboard a glorious ship, S.S. Karnak, chartered to celebrate the nuptials of Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer). Their event is marred by death, and everyone is a suspect.
A murder mystery is only as good as its suspects, and Death on the Nile is bursting with persons celebrities of interest. So which suspects turned up the heat, and which others floundered about? Read for our power rankings of the cast (some spoilers ahead)...
12. Rose Leslie as Louise Bourget, The Maid
Someone seems to have gone to the Gaga-Leto school for accents. It’s not simply that Rose Leslie’s French accent is nearly indecipherable. All the accents in Death on the Nile are all over the place, arched to high heaven. It’s that she never has fun with the goofiness of her character. While it’s hard to let loose while one is at work, Louise always reads as comatose. She doesn’t even really sell the greed we are supposed to register with Louise, as she covets Linnet’s necklace and other sparkly things.
11. Russell Brand as Linus Windlesham, The Lord
Would you believe Russell Brand as a doctor? No? Neither do we. Brand is given so little to do that he barely warrants an introduction. He has no hope of pulling focus from Annette Bening, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Sophie Okonedo. In fact, most of his characterization comes from other characters telling him about himself and his motives. Say what you will about his performances in Get Him to the Greek and Arthur, but at least for a while he had some energy onscreen. Here, Linus Windlesham is just a vacant body taking up space on the Karnak.
10. Ali Fazal as Andrew Katchadourian, The Cousin
One of the dangers in being in an Agatha Christie ensemble is becoming one-note filler. That fate befalls Ali Fazal’s agitated cousin Andrew Katchadourian. He’s a lawyer who’s been skimming off the top of Linnet’s finances. The only note Fazal plays is anger. It makes him too easy of a target and never fun enough to spend time with. There’s never more to the character than meets the eye.
9. Armie Hammer as Simon Doyle, The Husband
Let’s address the elephant in the room -- yes, it often looked like he wants to eat Gal Godot. Kidding aside, it is hard to not bring one’s baggage when assessing Armie Hammer’s performance. The role of Simon Doyle is meant to coast on his star persona, a sweatily handsome social climber with a dangerous level of sexual charisma. In many ways, Hammer personifies that to a tee. Still, one can’t help but think Hammer is coasting throughout the film, letting the audience fill in the blanks of the character rather than constructing his own vision of Simon. Much like the marketing department, we would like to skip over Armie Hammer.
8. Letitia Wright as Rosalie Otterbourne, The Manager
When we meet Rosalie, she’s insisting her Aunt Salome (Sophie Okonedo) be paid upfront for her singing engagement. Right off the bat, we see her as a no-nonsense businesswoman and are strapped in for a good time. That doesn’t exactly pay off once the plot comes into motion on the Karnak. Wright opts to fade into the background for most of the running time. It’s said that she’s a close friend of Linnet’s, but there is not a single moment or any spark between the actresses to suggest this. Wright is best used as the love interest for spoiled rich kid Bouc (Tom Bateman). That’s not because her and Bouc have any palpable sexual chemistry (they don’t). After Poirot tries to convince Bouc’s stuck up Mother (Annette Bening) of Rosalie’s fitness as a wife for Bouc, Rosalie storms away. She issues a cutting dressing down of Poirot that feels both from a different film but also more interesting than anything else she’s done up to this point. More fire and indignation could’ve taken this role to the next level.
7. Tom Bateman as Bouc, The Associate
The best moments from Bouc come with his introduction. The irresponsible rich boy is first seen flying kites on the Egyptian pyramids. We soon find out he’s a kept man, only to learn he’s kept by his Mother, played by Annette Bening. Bateman does a great job teasing out Bouc’s naivety and joie de vivre. Unfortunately, he never finds ways to vary it up. Once the titular death happens, Bouc assumes the role as sidekick to Poriot, only to fade into the background almost entirely. When given a subplot as Rosalie’s beau, it’s Wright who does the heavy lifting. As the third act closes and we build to the climax, Bateman’s Bouc becomes the movie’s emotional force. As charming as he is in spurts, he never gives us enough to justify his character’s outsized place in the film and in Poirot’s mind.
6. Annette Bening as Euphemia Bouc, The Mother
The great Annette Bening could do the role of Euphemia in her sleep. Just because she can, doesn’t mean she should. Her role as a disapproving Mother could’ve been laced with more lacerating barbs and general menace. If anything, she comes across as standoffish more than threatening. One of the throughlines for her character is her love of painting. Bening does a great job physically making herself present in the frame, setting up her easel in places and during times when it is not convenient at all.
5. Gal Gadot as Linnet Ridgeway, The Bride
It’s less that Gal Gadot gives a great performance in Death on the Nile. Moreso, that she’s perfectly used. As the wealthy beyond belief Linnet Ridgeway, Gadot needs to be simultaneously magnanimous and repellent. The actress’ awkwardness, particularly in her line readings, aid the characterization of Linnet. We want to spend more time with her opulence and goofiness, even if she drives us mad. Every member of the ensemble needs to have strong feelings about Linnet in order for the story to work. Gadot makes it easy to see how everyone’s opinions graft onto her. She’s an important central mechanism that drives the movie forward.
Also, let’s all say it together: “And enough champagne… to fill the Nile.”
4. Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, The Detective
Branagh is the central force of the whole operation. As such he should be having more fun with this character. Many of the characters, in a state of defensiveness, chastise Poirot for his narcissism and know-it-all-behavior. That’s not incredibly present in Branagh’s more exasperated Poirot. Still, he knows how to deliver a final monologue and keep us engaged the entire film. Today, movies always have to up the ante on stakes to a degree that is unsustainable. What’s great about Poirot is this feels like just another case to him that he has stumbled upon. A confusing opening in World War 1 pays off with a sweet coda in the final scene of the film. Poirot still gets to have perspective and an emotional arc, even if Death on the Nile may feel like just another job.
3. Emma Mackey as Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellefort, The Lover
The Sex Education star makes Jackie both alluring and dangerous. When we meet her in a British nightclub, Jackie is head over heels for Simon Doyle. The minute she introduces him to Linnet, she realizes she’s sealed her fate. Upon arriving in Egypt, Jackie casts a dark specter of a woman scorned, and she wears it well. In fact, there’s as much laughter as there is pain on her face as she watches the man she loved marry her best friend. Is it a tired archetype? For sure. Does Mackey give it a few more notes to make it feel fresh? Yes she does.
2. Jennifer Saunders as Marie Van Schuyler, The Aristocrat; and Dawn French as Bowers, The Nurse
It’s impossible to talk about Jennifer Saunders without talking about Dawn French, and vice versa. The two women are a package deal, in more ways than one. Right out the gate, both of them earn laughs while perfectly establishing who their characters are. Saunders’ lavish Marie Van Schuyler bemoans Linnet’s excess watching valets carry her suitcases. She insists on carrying her own herself to stay true to her Communist roots. Her nurse and companion, Bowers, rolls her eyes on cue, as if this has happened ten times already that day. Saunders and French have terrific chemistry and comic timing that serves them well as passengers who each have their own motives for offing one of the members on the ship. They know how to make their characterizations feel like actual people, rather than a collection of two to three personality traits.
1. Sophie Okonedo as Salome Otterbourne, The Singer
Someone understood the assignment. From the first moments we see Okonedo’s Salome step on stage and scene, we know right away what movie we are in. She feels like a Clue game piece come to life. Her face can contort from a snarl to a laugh with breakneck speed. More than anything, Salome never objects to being a suspect. First and foremost, she’s a fan of Poirot. Secondly, she delights in the interrogation, answering every question with gusto and fervor. Game recognizes game. In (the few) shots that utilize the whole cast, your eye will always go straight to Sophie Okonedo. She’s always in character, reacting at the exactly right heightened pitch. The movie could’ve used a few more performers willing to swing for the fences in a similar way.
Overall Thoughts
Sometimes the simplest movie can hit just the right spot. Death on the Nile hardly breaks any new ground. Yet, the star studded whodunnit is a perfectly watchable mystery filled with fun personalities and frequent revelations. While not all performances are up to snuff, there’s enough good stuff to justify the film’s existence.
While Branagh once again succeeds at bringing Poirot to life, his work behind the camera is much more lacking. A recurring visual motif finds the camera looking through mirrors, obscuring the scenes filled with actors interacting. There are plenty of other flashy visual choices that are more for showboating than offering clarity. In the first act, when we are gallivanting around pyramids and lavish hotels, Branagh fantastically conveys the scale of the landscape. Unfortunately, this bright, jetsetting panache doesn’t last too long once we’re on the Nile.
Death on the Nile is far from the most memorable movie of the year. Yet, there are worse ways one can spend two hours out at the movies. Pop some champagne (maybe even enough to fill the Nile) and have a fun time solving the murder. B-
Who were your favorite cast members in Death on the Nile? Were you satisfied with the movie?
Reader Comments (10)
Yup, swap Bateman and Gadot and that's pretty close to how I'd rank them. Okonedo was the only one who seemed to be having a ball. A friend who went with me joked that The River Nile was his favorite character. Plus, I couldn't believe how many scenes seemed to be shouting "Here is your group of suspects, gathered together in silence" and "Isn't it great that when you have money, you can just throw a party every day?"
I'm afraid the 1978 version casts a long shadow over this one. I actually had to rewatch it to rinse away my experience with Branagh's film. That sequence in Abu Simbel in John Guillermin's film is a masterpiece of mood [the silences!] and mystery and blocking, all totally absent in the new movie.
I totally agree that Sophie Okonedo was MVP.
I liked Russell Brand more than you did. I think he shows a sincerity and directness in his dramatic parts that will give him the opportunity for more of those roles, and the variety will extend the longevity of his career.
But for bravely overcoming an immense obstacle, I give credit to Gal Gadot and Emma Mackey, who had Armie Hammer as an acting partner. They had to work with a partner who:
- gave them nothing to work with, and had the most obvious and stereotyped interpretation of his role
- that they had to stay an internal distance from, to keep their soul clean
- that they had to maintain a certain artistic honesty and work with what was actually there, rather than pretending their partner gave them what they needed.
This makes them unable to give their role all the layers and complexity and fun that they could.
They also had to silently bear the burden of knowing they would get the blame for what didn’t work, like poor Lily James in “Rebecca” with Hammer. James caught the flack for that movie not working, not Hammer, the script, or the director.
Branagh has no feel on how to contruct a mystery,maintaing mood and atmosphere and he needed BIG stars not inc The Bening "Names Names Names" as Edina Munsoon would put it.
Bette Davis David Niven George Kennedy Mia Farrow Angela Lansbury Maggie Smith for French and Saunders,Russell Brand,Sophie Okenedo,Emma Mackey and the rest just don't cut it
Totally agree on your #1 placement. At first i was like "calm down Sophie!" and then "ohhhhhh. she knows exactly what this movie needs more of"
As a huge fan of the underrated and brilliant, "Sex Education," I am loving Mackey's strong reviews. I really hope this helps her career because she is such a great screen presence and actress.
This is largely correct. Is it such a bomb that we won't even get a new EVIL UNDER THE SUN, though? Branagh could always go low budget and adapt "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" for the Hallmark Channel. If he can still get a big budget, "Taken at the Flood" would be fun. He could let his love for CGI roam free with scenes set during the London Blitz. That one might also (it's been a long time) feature (fake) ghosts.
I boycotted the 2017 version of Murder On the Orient Express, because I have too much adulation for the original from 1974. I will give this one a chance for 1) my friends who want to go; 2) it IS Agatha Christie, and we have to take what we can get; and 3) Annette Bening. But my expectations are low. The trailer does not bring hope.
Christopher, thank you for such a lively and interesting review. As a big fan of Agatha Christie and a person who actually travelled in Egypt and on the Nile, I should be racing to see this.
However, I found Kenneth Branagh's version of Murder on the Orient Express a pale imitation of the 1974 Lumet version.
But it sounds like seeing Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French on the big screen is worth a trip.
A fun diversion during these times is just what I need. Glad to hear Sophie Okonedo did so well with that difficult role.
When I finally saw the movie it was just kind of ...bleh? Some good moments but overall just bland.
13- Armie Hammer- Forgettable boarding on bad
12- Alli Fazal- forgettable
11- Rose Leslie- not quite as forgettable- might be ranked higher with more screentime
10- Russell Brand- miscast
9- Tom Bateman- He just isn't talented enough to be the emotional core at the end
8- Leticia Wright- She has that one great moment talking down to Poirot but what else is there?
7- Jennifer Saunders- She needed more screentime. She is able to give off some sinister vibes with her Communist character but needs more to really go to the next level
6- Dawn French- Also needs more time, but is able to play some dramatic beats she usually doesn't get to.
5- Gal Gadot- The script makes her character much more likeable then the book and Gadot benefits so much from that.
4- Emma McKay- She overdoes it a lot but her character kind of needs to. She really needed more screentime. She is the central character in the conflict and she just disappears from the film.
3- Sophie Okonedo- Her deep voice sends me. But I wonder if she wishes she could've had a big drunk scene.
Branagh- I don't agree with a lot of the choices he made with Poirot, but when he makes him human, it does resonate.
Annette Bening- She gets the monologue all out in one big bitter breath. She is the best part of the movie and it would be better if everyone else was on her level.
It sounds crazy, but I really wanted the movie to be longer. It would have been great to expand on the characters and their motivations more but the whole thing seems so rushed.