A mystery in Venice

If you feel like watching a film which revolves around a mystery in Venice, you should watch A Haunting in Venice, the last film by Kenneth Branagh. As in Murder on the Orient Express and in Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh reprises his role of the detective Hercule Poirot. The three films are based on Agatha Christie novels but unlike what happens in the previous films, the reference to the novel written by Agatha Christie is not so evident in Branagh´s latest film. A Haunting in Venice is based on The Hallowe´en Party, a novel published in 1969. The Spanish audience may be not so familiar with this title because the title chosen for the Spanish translation of the novel was The Apples (Las manzanas). The novel provides the director with inspiration for A Haunting in Venice but the new film is not just a cinematic version of the book unlike other film adaptations.

A Haunting in Venice is set in an eerie post World War II Venice, in the claustrophobic atmosphere of an Italian palazzo which is falling apart. The building has a terrible story related to the death of orphan children who were abandoned there and the plot begins with a party which has been thrown for some orphans on All Hallows´ Eve. After the party, a séance which Poirot attends reluctantly – as he is now retired – triggers the rest of the story. A friend of the sleuth, Ariadne Oliver – a successful crime fiction writer – plays a very important part in the story as she is the one who encourages Poirot to go to the party in order to unmask Mrs. Reynolds, a controversial medium, a role wonderfully played by Michelle Yeoh. The film has all the ingredients of a classic Agatha Christie novel and even if the original novel may not be one of the most popular ones, Kenneth Branagh has managed to create an excellent whodunnit which is set in a very spooky atmosphere and I think that this fact makes it perfect for these days when people choose to celebrate Halloween. The film was released 6 weeks ago and it´s still on at our local cinemas, which means that it´s been attracting cinemagoers for a long time!!

As in the previous films, the film has a star-studded cast and I must say that all the members of the cast are perfect for the role they play.  

As usual, cinema offers us a wide range of possibilities and if these days you have a liking for spooky and supernatural themes, I´m sure your local cinema will be showing a film you´re bound to enjoy!