Death on the Nile

 

Score:  C+

Directed by Kenneth Branaugh

Starring Kenneth Branaugh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Emma Mackey, et. al.

Running time: 127 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Kenneth Branaugh follows up his hit adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express with another Agatha Christie story led by detective Poirot.  If you've seen Murder, you'll be familiar with the basic structure/mystery setup, and the large cast of bold characters, but it simply doesn't work as well this time.  Mostly, in my opinion, that's because of a darker tone with little - by character or plot - to attach your sympathies to.  See it if you want a change of pace, but it's not for everyone.

Famed detective Hercule Poirot (Branaugh) is enjoying a vacation in Egypt when he runs into an old friend, Bouc (Bateman).  Bouc is part of a group that is celebrating a couple's honeymoon - Linnet (Gadot) and Simon (Hammer).  The group is shadowed, however, by an unwelcome presence, Jackie (Macky), who seems intent on spoiling the couple's fun.  Linnet, Simon, Poirot and the rest board a cruise ship to sail down the Nile, and hopefully escape Jackie.  However, Jackie was not the only troublemaker; in the confines of the ship, old resentments and entanglements come to the surface.  After a shocking murder, Poirot is on the case, racing to find the culprit before they can escape - or kill again.

Death on the Nile, a sequel to Murder on the Orient Express, has about the same structure and style as its predecessor but fares worse in many ways, particularly due to its strikingly dark tone.  Based on another of Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries, it has her classic whodunit story template which is fleshed out by the eccentric detective and a colorful cast of suspects.  In Murder, Branaugh - as lead actor and director - established Poirot as both an entertaining and interesting protagonist, and the film focused on him.  Unfortunately, Nile takes Poirot for granted; sure, there are some fun bits sprinkled in, whether fussing over dessert or digging into an interrogation.  But he's mostly just a spectator - one who at least should have had some more biting commentary on his mostly unworthy companions.  The murder mystery itself is also worse - not necessarily in the mechanics, but more in the tone.  Where Murder at least offered a sympathetic rationale for its crime, built up to throughout the story, Nile's is based entirely on greed and cruelty with quite a bit of collateral on top.

The dark nature of the crime contrasts oddly with both the setting and the main plot.  Nile features much more spectacular environments and vistas than the cold, cramped (but effective) train of Murder, but it's all an illusion of wonder; in fact, much of the CGI is noticeably shoddily done.  Then there is the honeymoon that serves as the backbone, which should in theory be a pure, happy celebration.  But the couple's history ruined - at least for me - any joy, since Linnet and Simon both left prior engagements to be with each other; Hammer's involvement, particularly in this role, is also unfortunate.  There aren't many characters to like outside the couple, either, except for Linnet's old classmate Rosalie (Wright) and her jazz singer aunt, Salome (Okonedo).  The performances are fine, but it's hard to get attached to anyone.  I'm focusing on the negative, but I can't help but compare it to its kin, the superior Murder on the Orient Express.  Nile has its share of enjoyable moments, but when I think about what it could have been in the context of Murder, there is clear disappointment.

***

When Murder came out, I was happy to go see it; fewer and fewer dramas, let alone mysteries, like it are found in Hollywood today.  It wasn't a classic but it was solid, so I was also interested to see this sequel.  Well, it's not just the blockbusters that can fall prey to disappointing comparisons with the original.  To be honest, my rating might be overly affected by my distaste for the dark tone and reaction to the particulars of the plot.  So, others may find Nile more equivalent in quality to Murder than I did.  It was not for me, though.  Murders don't have to be all bad, right?  Go ahead and try this in the theater if you're a big mystery/Christie fan, but waiting to see it at home (or not at all) is just fine, too.

* By http://www.impawards.com/2022/death_on_the_nile_ver3.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61933419

Licorice Pizza

 

Score:  C+

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Bradley Cooper

Running time: 133 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  Licorice Pizza is a coming-of-age period drama starring two debuting actors by the popular director Paul Thomas Anderson.  After a glimmer of possibility to start, the movie unfortunately becomes a disaster.  Alana Haim does great work and is the main (almost the only) draw.  Her character and relationship development is cast aside in favor of random, poorly-conceived side tracks, one after another.  Oh, and a host of bad men, from the annoying to the criminal.  Skip.

Gary (Hoffman), a fifteen-year-old child actor, falls in love at first sight with school photographer, Alana (Haim).  Ten years his senior, Alana is exasperated but, feeling listless in her own life, takes some comfort in his attention and the two strike up a friendship.  The bond takes them on a wild ride through 1970s California as Alana and Gary dabble in each other's interests, from acting to business to politics.  Many obstacles are thrown in their path, but Alana and Gary do their best to make it through, individually and together.

Licorice Pizza is not a good movie; it contains a fair number of sparks of good ideas - which, if it had fully pursued a few, could have worked - but instead it's one big mess.  At its core, this is a coming-of-age film - with way too much else going on - that is intended as a "prestige" picture by one of today's most lauded directors, Paul Thomas Anderson.  I'll start with what is worth seeing, since that will be quicker.  Alana Haim, a musician, is very impressive in her acting debut, and, largely thanks to the performance, her character is the most interesting part of the film by far.  A young adult, she has a close-knit family yet little sense of personal direction when the film begins, and you want to see where she'll go.  The relationship with Gary also starts off well, an extended dialogue during the opening scene establishing their characters and odd, age-mismatched dynamic.  There are some interesting period elements, including overall strong production design, a great soundtrack (for classic rock fans), and a direct impact on the story from the oil embargo.  There is also precisely one fun scene, involving the oil embargo and driving on empty.

Sadly, it doesn't take long for the promise of Alana's interesting character and her relationship with Gary to get lost and, by the end, essentially ruined.  The film simply and inexplicably loses interest and focus on those core elements - and not in service of some interesting plot that guides the rest of the movie.  Rather, it turns to a series of spontaneous, illogical and/or poorly explained events that have little connection other than forcing our main characters to tumble around in them like a washing machine until the finale dumps them out, soggy and hard to recognize, in a quick conclusion.  Alana survives these without getting completely lost, but Gary becomes less and less believable as a teenager, and more and more of a jerk (a theme on males I'll return to).  He becomes much more interested in himself - or maybe, the audience just begins to see that more clearly - and Alana simply a trophy for him to "win".  And these bizarre, poorly conceived/executed developments result in a movie that is way too long; ninety minutes would have been plenty.  There are too many utterly pointless scenes, making you feel the drag, yet other important parts get rushed through.

Finally, a theme (intentional?) of the film I found notable is male failure and sin, from standard patriarchy to blatant misogyny.  Maybe I am sensitive to this idea after seeing The Lost Daughter, which had similar themes.  But to me, it sure seemed that poor Alana was surrounded by a terrible collection of males, whether minor or major figures in her life.  It ranges from her peers (or close to it) - not just Gary's narcissism, but another potential boyfriend's thoughtlessness - to leaders, the supposedly genial yet racist owner of a restaurant and, in a significant role, a gay mayoral candidate who uses Alana as a prop potential love interest while tormenting his true lover.  Worst are the star cameos, Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper, whose presence and showy roles are a big part of giving the Prestige Picture appearance.  Both of their characters are sexual predators, or close enough that it makes little difference.  Their roles are also among the most incidental in a film full of them.  The male critique in The Lost Daughter is interesting, thoughtful, and useful; in Licorice Pizza, it's just sickening and too often seems presented as gratuitous entertainment itself.

***

I am flabbergasted by the critical acclaim that Licorice Pizza has received - not to mention its nomination for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay.  The only other film I've seen by Paul Thomas Anderson is There Will Be Blood, which is very good - certainly much, much better than this.  But if this qualifies as one of his best in critics' eyes, I'm not sure I want to see any of his others.  There are clearly elements in the film that had potential; as I wrote, the first part starts off quite well.  It is just so bizarre the direction it takes after that, almost as if in open defiance to what the sensible options could have been.  This is definitely the worst of the Best Picture nominees that I've seen from 2021.  I hope to see a few more, like The Power of the Dog, and get the taste of this one out of my mouth.  Awards season has more to offer - I strongly advise you look elsewhere!

* By http://www.impawards.com/2021/licorice_pizza_ver3.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68829075