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A14 people & Arts
Wednesday 9 February 2022
The long-delayed ‘Death on the Nile’ runs aground

By JAKE COYLE sibly forming on the dance
AP Film Writer floor. There writhes the pas-
Kenneth Branagh's Agatha sionate lovers Simon Doyle
Christie adaptation "Death (Hammer) and Jacqueline
on the Nile" begins with a (Emma Mackey). She paus-
flashback to the trenches es to introduce her fiancé
of World War I before shift- to the wealthy socialite Lin-
ing to 1930s London two net Ridgeway (Gal Gadot)
decades later, but that's and appeal to her for a job
nothing compared to the for Doyle.
time that's passed since When Poirot turns up
Branagh's preceding 2017 months later at the Pyra-
whodunit "Murder on the mids in Egypt, Doyle and
Orient Express." Linnet are married and
That film, which packed honeymooning. The desert
a bevy of stars aboard an scene is computer gener-
opulent locomotive, was ated and a little ridiculous.
a saggy contrivance that An old acquaintance,
lacked the warm fizz of Linus Windlesham (a nicely
Sidney Lumet's 1974 ver- against type Russell Brand),
sion, with Albert Finney. a doctor and Linnet's for-
But "Murder on the Orient" mer fiancé, is flying a kite
did offer a welcome re- halfway up one of the pyr-
minder of two immutable This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Gal Gadot, left, and Ali Fazal in a scene from amids. Linnet briefly is seen
cinematic maxims: Train "Death on the Nile." Associated Press in the garb of Cleopatra,
movies are irresistible and like a mini-coming attrac-
whodunits are, generally by the Walt Disney Co. star-studded adaptation of with a battle wound that tion for an in-development
speaking, a hoot. It was an Still, the biggest sea Christie's 1937 novel, script- ultimately prompts Poirot's movie trailed by its own
unexpected box-office hit, change to swamp "Death ed by Michael Green, is a choice of facial hair. We controversy.
and a sequel, with Branagh on the Nile" may have been better movie than "Murder know where the Joker got All, including a jilted, jeal-
again directing and return- something else: Rian John- on the Orient Express" but his malaise and Superman ous Jacqueline, board the
ing as the mustachioed son's "Knives Out" kind of still feels like a creaky mur- his powers; now we can fi- Karnak, a handsome river-
Belgian detective Hercule blew it out the water. John- der mystery too insecure to nally account for the origin boat steamer. For "Death
Poirot, was quickly ordered son's 2019 mystery wasn't simply let its talky charac- of Poirot's stache. on the Nile," it's a polished
up with visions of something based on a Christie novel, ters and spiraling plot lines And certainly, Branagh's set for the movie's main ac-
like a Christie-verse. but it was affectionately play out. Instead, "Death portrayal of Christie's semi- tion. Just about everyone
But the pandemic, which styled after one, and gid- on the Nile," stuck some- nal detective leans into on the ship has some con-
partly accounts for release dily brought the genre into where between the past the iconic. His Poirot is es- nection to the newlyweds.
postponements stretch- contemporary times. Here, and today, tries vainly to pecially smirking, knowing Among the persons of in-
ing two years, is not all that with Daniel Craig as the spruce up an old-fashioned and mustache-twirling. For terest are the painter Eu-
has delayed "Death on very Poirot-like investigator style of movie with buckets much of the movie early phemia (Annette Bening),
the Nile." One of its stars, Benoit Blanc, was the ex- of CGI and a nervous cam- on, we see him in mug- Linnet's lawyer, Andrew
Armie Hammer, plunged citing whodunit revival. (A era that can't stop swoop- ging close-up and ominous Katchadourian (Ali Fazal),
into scandal, and the stu- Mediterranean-set sequel ing around. silhouette simply watch- Otterbourne and her niece
dio reportedly considered is due out later this year.) It begins with a flashback ing — especially at a Lon- (Letitia Wright), Linnet's
reshooting the film with an- So "Death on the Nile," with to Poirot as a soldier at war, don blues club where Sa- godmother Marie Van
other actor. Even the studio Hammer in tow, is making where his cunning read- lome Otterbourne (Sophie Schuyler (Jennifer Saun-
disappeared when 20th its humbled way into the- ing of the winds leads to a Okonedo) is performing ders) and her companion
Century Fox was acquired aters this Friday. A glossy, promising offensive, along and a love triangle is pos- (Dawn French). q

Snoop Dogg calls Super Bowl halftime

show ‘dream come true’

the big Super Bowl stage nem, Kendrick Lamar and per Bowl in his home state
rattle his nerves. The ultra- Mary J. Blige. "I'm not go- a "dream come true." He
smooth rapper said he will ing to understand it until it said he's looking forward
worry about his upcom- happens," he continued. to sharing the stage with
ing halftime performance "While it's happening, I'm in music legends who are his
after the fact. "For me, the zone. I'm stuck to the friends."We're all one. We're
when performing, I never script, laser focused, being all united together," said
let the moment get big- on point, sounding good, the 50-year-old rapper,
ger than me," said Snoop looking good and feeling who said he might perform
Dogg in a recent interview good. I want to give off a his 1994 classic "Gin and
with The Associated Press great presentation. After Juice," but hasn't made a
Entertainer Snoop Dogg walks on the field before an NFL football
game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New from his studio compound the fact, it's when I'll be ner- final decision yet. "If you re-
Orleans Saints Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. in Inglewood, California, vous about watching it to ally look at it, that's what the
Associated Press a suburb of Los Angeles see what the reaction is. world needs to understand
where the Super Bowl will But while I'm going through that we need to come to-
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Snoop be held Sunday. He'll take it, it's nothing." Snoop Dogg gether as opposed to divi-
AP Entertainment Writer Dogg says he won't let the stage with Dr. Dre, Emi- calls performing at the Su- sion or separation."q