Film review: Death on the Nile
Kenneth Branagh reprises his role as Poirot in this starry but unsatisfying Agatha Christie adaptation
This “unmissable” Danish animation received three Oscar nominations last week, which should bump it up “a little higher on audience radars”, said Christina Newland in The i Paper. The film tells the “anguish-ridden but ultimately hopeful true story” of Amin, a gay Afghan refugee who was raised in Kabul, escaped the mujahideen asayoung man in the 1980s, relocated to Soviet Russia, and finally settled in Copenhagen “with a head full of haunting memories”. While archive footage is woven in, most of the film unfolds in a “deliberately crude pencilled animation style” that manages to convey Amin’s often horrifying experiences in a sensitive and “deeply humane” fashion.
This is a film that “simply wouldn’t have worked in any medium but animation”, said Robbie Collin in The Daily Telegraph. Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, who met Amin when they were at school together, reconstructs his friend’s life story “as a string of reminiscences, some flurried and impressionistic, set down hot in a matter of moments, and others recorded with serene, Tintin-esque precision”. Amin himself, whose real name is not disclosed, is “great company” throughout: “unsparing, eloquent and self-effacing”. I found the whole thing “thrillingly unique”; both “achingly beautiful and humane”.
The “serious cartoon for grown-ups genre” – think Persepolis or Waltz with Bashir – may have found its defining entry with this “affecting” documentary, agreed Kevin Maher in The Times. As the film proceeds, the “violations and emotional endurances” become almost unbearable–yet the director unleashes a “climax of such bittersweet ecstasy that all but the hardest hearts will shatter”. It ends in “tears of joy”; some Oscars would be “a fitting coda”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Criminal trail?'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Grindr 'shared user HIV status' with ad firms, lawsuit claims
Speed Read LGBTQ dating app accused of breaching UK data protection laws in case filed at London's High Court
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
The best dog-friendly hotels around the UK
The Week Recommends Take a break with your four-legged friend in accommodation that offers you both a warm welcome
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Sarah Langan recommends 6 women-centric horror books
Feature The horror novelist recommends works by Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes for car lovers
Feature Featuring a 14-car showroom in Oregon and a Bentley-style apartment in Florida
By The Week Staff Published
-
6 serene homes in Vermont
Features Featuring a four-level Shaker barn in Hartland and a Scandinavian-inspired home in Stowe
By The Week US Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rowan Beaird recommends 6 compelling books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes with great rec rooms
Feature Featuring a suspended fireplace in Arizona and a marine-themed home in Maine
By The Week Published
-
Recipe: gnocchi di spinaci (spinach gnocchi)
The Week Recommends Forget the potatoes for this gnocchi made of the 'classic combination' of spinach and ricotta
By The Week UK Published
-
Stephen Graham Jones' 6 scary books with deeper meanings
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Sara Gran, and more
By The Week US Published