Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this review are solely those of Marlon Wallace and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of WBOC.
Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express (2017) was an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel. It did very well in the box office, enough to warrant the sequel, Death on the Nile (2022). Between those two, Rian Johnson made an Agatha Christie-style film called Knives Out (2019), which also did very well at the box office, enough that it too warranted a sequel called Glass Onion (2022), which will be released in December of this year. Glass Onion will also be an Agatha Christie-style mystery. This film feels like it’s trying to capitalize off the success of those aforementioned, four films. At the same time, this film is also trying to spoof or mock those Agatha Christie mysteries. It feels like a spoof or mockery of 1940’s Hollywood and live theater of that time too.
Knives Out was a de facto spoof of Agatha Christie as well. Yet, Johnson was not as on-the-nose as this film is. This film is way more obvious with his humor. It hits you over the head with its jokes and then always goes out of its way to underline its jokes, as if it doesn’t trust the audience to recognize them as jokes. A lot of that comes through in the performances, which is purposeful. Unfortunately, I just don’t think those performances are as funny as they could have been and possibly should have been. The films Murder By Death (1976) and Clue (1985) are Agatha Christie spoofs from 40 and 50 years ago and they are funnier than this. A lot of it might be in the casting.
Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit and Vice) stars as Inspector Stoppard, the British police detective who is assigned a murder case that occurs at a theater in London that’s putting on an Agatha Christie play. Rockwell is a good actor. He’s been nominated twice for the Oscar, but I’ve never really been taken with him. He’s also not the comedic anchor that is needed here. Instead of stabilizing things, he mainly drags things down. He’s certainly not the character that is the detective in Knives Out. Arguably, those two characters are different, but Stoppard doesn’t even seem as that good of a detective. The detective in Knives Out feels like he could be a version of Sherlock Holmes or a detective of that great skill or level. Stoppard doesn’t come across that way. He doesn’t come across as that insightful or intelligent.
It might also be that the mystery that’s presented here isn’t that engaging or even that complicated. It’s not even as surprising as one might expect in an Agatha Christie-style mystery. Most good mysteries have a good list of suspects and red herrings. There are normally twists and turns that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. This film has one twist that’s a bit interesting, but, it’s a rather lame misdirection. It perhaps wouldn’t have been lame, if the film devoted any time to it. It simply flies by as if it didn’t even matter. It goes to this idea and comedic device that detectives or police officers can often jump to conclusions.
Saoirse Ronan (Little Women and Lady Bird) co-stars as Constable Stalker, a police detective in training. She’s very much new to the detective world. Yet, the commissioner assigns her to partner with Stoppard to figure out or solve the murder case. She’s very much starstruck. She’s very annoying in how much she talks and rambles. She’s also annoying in her various puns or one-liners. She’s so eager to solve the case that she does on occasion jump to conclusions. That quirk or flaw of hers could have been used to greater effect, but it’s not.
Again, it’s more than likely a writing issue and the mystery here not being all that complicated or interesting. Once the killer is revealed, it’s virtually a shrug of the shoulders. Most Agatha Christie-style films have the reveal of the killer be a jaw-dropper. Knives Out certainly accomplished that. It’s either a total shock or it’s someone that the audience likes or for which they care. That’s not the case here.
David Oyelowo (Selma and Red Tails) plays Mervyn Cocker-Norris, the writer who is responsible for turning the play into a film. He’s a character who is seemingly gay. It’s not confirmed verbally. It might be confirmed visually, but the film never makes anything substantial of it. The film perhaps didn’t want to seem homophobic, given where the film goes with Mervyn, but it almost makes me wish that Oyelowo was playing the lead detective. Oscar-winner Adrien Brody is in this film and his performance is more alive and electric than that of Rockwell. Brody’s character is a jerk, but I would’ve much preferred a jerk as the lead detective than the noncommittal character that is Rockwell’s performance.
Rated PG-13 for some violence, bloody images and a sexual reference.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 38 mins.
In theaters.
