The tale begins with Poirot in self-exile in Venice. He is retired and turning down all requests for his sleuthing services. Even though he is highly sceptical he attends a séance at the behest of his friend the famous writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey). When a murder happens during the event he is pulled back into service.

There is much to like about this film, it looks fantastic with an old-school approach to showing the actors in full-frame close-ups. Branagh’s double moustache is a wonder to behold and the lighting and set design fully sells the creepy aspects of the story. It’s classic who done it stuff.

With source material as rich as Christie’s books it would seem a certainty to provide the basis for a quality product. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case and there are quite a few film versions of her books that just don’t excite. An accomplished talent like Branagh side-step this dilemma and was a perfect choice to bring this seductive story to life.
Rob Hudson
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Pack your bags but leave one hand free for your glass of sparkling on arrival and take a trip to Venice post World War 2 with the intrepid sleuth Hercule Poirot in A HAUNTING IN VENICE. Starring Kenneth Branagh, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey and Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh, this thrilling Agatha Christie whodunnit murder-mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Solve the mystery on Wednesday, September 13 at Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo and Portside.

Or for something more recent, delve into DUMB MONEY with an all-star cast including Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anothony Ramos, Shailene Woodley and Seth Rogan. Re-live the 2021 David versus Goliath tale based on the insane true story of everyday people on Reddit who battled the wits with Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop into the world’s hottest company. Ride the rise and fall of the stock market with a Stone and Wood Beer in hand on Friday, September 22 at Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo and Portside.

If the future is more your thing, then you won’t want to miss the epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of AI in THE CREATOR. Starring John David Washington, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney and from the writer/director of Rogue One and Godzilla a hardened ex special forces agent must hunt down and kill a world-ending weapon – an AI in the form of a young child. Travel across enemy lines into the heart of AI-occupied territory with your glass of sparkling in hand on Wednesday, 27 September at Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo and Portside.

Dendy Cinemas September Red Carpet Previews
From September 13, 2023
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo and Portside
www.dendy.com.au

In addition, Branagh announced that Hildur Guđnadóttir, the acclaimed composer from Iceland who won an Oscar, Golden Globe®, GRAMMY®, and BAFTA for “Joker” and an Emmy® and GRAMMY for “Chernobyl,” and who most recently scored “TÁR” and “Women Talking,” will compose the score.

“A Haunting in Venice” is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.

Reuniting many of the filmmakers behind 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile,” the film is directed by Kenneth Branagh with a screenplay by Oscar® nominee Michael Green (“Logan”) based upon Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party. The producers are Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Ridley Scott, and Simon Kinberg, with Louise Killin, James Prichard, and Mark Gordon serving as executive producers.

A brilliant acting ensemble portrays a cast of unforgettable characters, including Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen (“Rosaline”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”), Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Jude Hill (“Belfast”), Ali Khan (“6 Underground”), Emma Laird (“Mayor of Kingstown”), Kelly Reilly (“Yellowstone”), Riccardo Scamarcio (“Caravaggio’s Shadow”), and recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”).
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