The Mosley Review: A Haunting in Venice

In the landscape of cinema these days, its all about the action packed superhero genre and not really about the smaller and more intimate stories. In the right hands, the smaller and more human based stories can be something special and this franchise continues to be just that. Agatha Christie's famed detective is back and I was genuinely excited because of the amazingly crafted and fun previous film entries. This time around we get something a little more spooky in the famous murder mystery series and it is perfect for the Halloween season. Seriously, think about how many murder mystery films come out around this time that are perfectly themed for the occasion. Not many are and that is why I was surprised by it. There were moments where some of the characters felt a little cartoonish because of the accents, but it was part of the charm. The characters are as rich as expected and all of them have a distinct part to play which felt essential and perfect.

Kenneth Branagh returns once again as Hercule Peroit and he continues to be so much fun to watch. His charisma and immediate attention to detail is always exciting to witness. I loved that with each entry we get to see the layers of Hercule and this time we get to see a side of him that is lonely and somewhat painful. It doesn't take long for his analytical brain to start working and when he's on the case, nobody is safe. His witty remarks and analogies were hilarious and deep cutting. Tina Fey joins the series as a fellow detective and famous friend of Hercule, Ariadne Oliver. The chemistry and banter between was fun to watch and even though her part to play in this story was a bit obvious, it was still cool to see it all deconstructed. Her accent was a bit all over the place at times as you could hear her restraining from sounding like the typically exaggerated 1940's dame. Riccardo Scamarcio was awesome and intimidating as his personal bodyguard, Vitale Portfoglio. I enjoyed his steadfast nature and his connection to Hercule. Jamie Dornan was great and endearing as Dr. Leslie Ferrier. His depiction of PTSD from World War 2 is something I haven't seen before during that time period and was refreshing. Jude Hill was outstanding as his son Leopold. The amount of insight and maturity the kid has in the most extreme situations was astounding and masterfully handled. Kelly Reilly is always wonderful to watch and as Rowena Drake, she delivers an emotionally charged performance that is layered and intense. Michelle Yeoh was excellent as Joyce Reynolds and she truly sets off the supernatural nature of the story. I liked that she was consistent for the most part, but there was one scene that really showed her hand and it was a bit disappointing. Emma Laird and Ali Khan were great as her assistants Desdemona and Nicholas Holland. They had your typical story of wanting a better life, but there is a fun twist that happens with them. Kyle Allen was good as Maxime Gerard and I liked that even though he was antagonistic, he had a sense of humanity that comes to light in the latter half of the film. Camille Cottin was good and steadfast in her faith as Olga Seminoff. I liked that she was the most honest person in the film and even though she had plenty of motive, she stayed true in the face of danger.

The score by the wonderful Hildur Guðnadóttir was excellent and haunting in the best way. She nails that slow and creepy build to the horror elements of the story and keeps the emotional beats strong when characters are talking about the victims. Visually the film is gorgeous with the use of shadows and lanterns. I always loved the look of eroided stone walls and classicly painted murals. From beginning to end, this was a fun and spooky murder mystery that dabbles in the supernatural without being overly cheesy and keeps that same quality of storytelling that started with Murder on the Orient Express. I genuinely enjoy these films and I can't wait for another mystery for Hercule to solve. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!