Film: A Haunting in Venice

I was back in Ireland for the weekend. Film-wise, I thought about The Nun II - I wouldn't mind, actually! I've watched the trailer - lots of jump scares, but it is rated higher than the original. But when the ratings were out for it, I decided to go to A Haunting in Venice, a spooky Hercule Poirot mystery, starring Kenneth Branagh. Michelle Yeoh plays the psychic conducting the séance that Poirot is asked to investigate, Jamie Dornan is the doctor to the family holding the séance, Jude Hill, who played his son in Belfast, plays his son again here, Kyle Allen is the ex-fiancé of the dead daughter of the woman who's called the séance, and whom she hopes to conjure, and Tina Fey is an old friend of Poirot's who persuades him to take the case. I was shopping in Limerick, next to the Omniplex, so saw it there.

Turned out to be in the Maxx - as they're now calling Screen 1. Lovely - first time I've been in it since it was redone. Not up to London standards, but quite big, with that impressive Maxx signage on either side of the screen - nice, comfy reclining seats too. If I'd realised, I'd have booked on the door side, mind - I ended up having to walk all the way across for my seat. Still, it was less crowded on that side..

Well, the review I read described this as the best of Branagh's Poirot films - but pointed out that wasn't saying much. Fair enough, it is better than Murder on the Orient Express - I agree with the reviewer that that was ridiculous. The review also described it as being like eating expensive chocolates.. referring to the fact that it is gorgeous to look at. I concur. The faded grandeur of Venice is beautifully portrayed, the séance taking place in a dilapidated palazzo, exposed brickwork and crumbling structures. And throughout, we have gondolas gliding through the gloom, mysterious figures in long, black capes and anonymous white masks.. gosh yes, it's a fantasy city.

As to the plot - I haven't read the book, but they apparently used it as inspiration, then dumped it entirely and went their own way. Which is actually fine - except, as the review says, the plot isn't up to Agatha Christie standards. But hey - it's nicely spooky, without being properly scary; jump scares mix with truly sinister interiors, and deaths straight out of Gothic horror. I did enjoy it. It'd perhaps be a nice opener for an evening's scariness on Hallowe'en..

Well, for dinner, I ate the steak and ale pies (they're small) that Tesco brought instead of the cottage pies ordered for my mother. And discovered they were quite nice! So, until Nando's opens in the Crescent Shopping Centre.. (they're working on it..)

Too tired to blog that night - I was testing out my recovered drinking powers (now that the weather's cooler), which I blame for it, and yesterday ran away from me, what with rushing to make my flight, which was then delayed - could be the weather, which has been atrocious. Ryanair, interestingly, in their wisdom, substituted the original plane with a smaller one, it seems - so one poor lady, stood near me in the queue, who'd booked to be beside her parents, found that her row no longer existed, and they all had to go where they were put! Hmm, a rather fishy story..

Back in London, tonight, with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) again for Crazy for You, at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

Tomorrow - well, back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for the "revised" Passage to Pimlico! He says he's redone it - certainly glad to be back with them again. That evening, it's Octopolis, at Hampstead Theatre with UITCS again!

On Wednesday, I'm with CT for a classical concert - a Chamber Recital at St. Mark's, Hamilton Terrace. Regular tickets from TicketSource.

And on Thursday, it's film - and I got enough of the film list done to come up with Phantom Parrot, a documentary about the unusual powers granted to UK Border Police. Q+A afterwards. Curzon Bloomsbury, of course - and already mostly booked out, so I booked. Funnily enough, although I'm still entitled to four free films, I couldn't see how to avail of that! so ended up just getting a discount instead. Will normally not be booking in advance, so should be less of an issue, with staff to help..