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Death on the Nile: Blood in the Water makes a Bloody Good Time

February 9, 2022 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

It’s fair to say that almost everyone loves a good whodunit. 

Especially over the last few years, it seems like murder mysteries have become big business once again. From Rian Johnson’s Knives Out to Adam Sandler’s Murder Mystery or even reality shows like Tiger King, people can’t seem to get enough of untangling a web of murderous intrigue. Now, with the release of Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh‘s second dalliance into the world of famed detective, Hercule Poirot, we are once again transported into a world of mystery with blood in the water.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Death on the Nile reintroduces the world to brilliant detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh). While on vacation in Egypt, Poirot encounters an old friend who invites him to join his family at a luxurious wedding. As the guests venture out along the banks of the Nile on a glamorous river steamer, their excursion is cut short by the unsuspecting hand of murder. Trapped on the ship with multiple suspects, Poirot is set into action as he attempts to unravel the mystery before him before the killer can strike again.

Based on the iconic novel by Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile is an entertaining whodunit that honours its source material yet still somehow feels current and authentic. In fact, maybe that’s the magic of Christie’s work. No matter how much time has passed, humanity has never really changed. Rightly or (frequently) wrongly, love and money still serve as the primary motivations for much of humanity and we continue to be preoccupied by our own wants and desires. Originally written in 1937, Nile still manages to resonate with its understanding of humanity and the toxicity that our passions and selfishness cause in our relationships.

After his success with Murder on the Orient Express, Branagh once again takes on an iconic tale with twists and turns and manages to make it work on the big screen. Filled with lush colours and stunning set design, Branagh clearly has a love for Christie’s work and he does everything he can to bring it to life. Bleeding reds and cleanest of whites are held in stark contrast to the golden desert surrounding them. The crisp lines of the ship itself make it feel like a prison and add to the claustrophobia of the moment. What’s more, as Poirot himself, Branagh is a joy to watch, giving the detective a humanity and charm that makes him infinitely watchable. There is a certain rhythm and beat to this type of storytelling and Branagh feels like he is in his element. 

With a cast that features Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Armie Hammer, Letita Wright and many more, Nile has another star-studded crew that feels like it will be difficult to balance yet each are given their own moment to shine. Perhaps the brightest star though is Gal Gadot as ingenue, Linnet Ridgeway. As the sweet but potentially self-centred Linnet, Gadot brings a magnificence to her character that is highlighted every moment that she steps on screen. 

Of course, one of the more unexpected challenges of this particular cast lies in their offscreen controversies. Shot back in 2019, the cast initially looked like a powerhouse. However, a lot has changed since then. Given their recent issues in both their personal lives and the public eye, it remains to be seen how a film featuring Hammer, Wright and, to a lesser extent, Brand and Gadot, will be received by audiences. Through no fault of the film itself, several of its stars have simply become lightning rods for controversy for any number of issues (especially Hammer). Having said this, the film remains a delightfully fun ride and one hopes that audiences will still be able to enjoy it despite these concerns.

Outside of its murderous twists and turns, its interesting that Nile appears interested in exploring the nature of love. Amidst this motley crew, everyone seems to have their own understanding of what it truly means. Whether it is finding wholeness in your soulmate or leaning into sexual attraction, it seems that everyone misunderstands love in one way or another. For instance, whereas one character believes that love is something meant to be held onto with an obsessive grip, another believes that it is the very thing that makes you whole. While one person argues that love means setting them free, another suggests that love does keeps a long list of wrongdoings and mistrust. (In fact, they specifically mention that the famed ‘love passage’ in 1 Corinthians 13 ‘lied to us’.) Each conversation about the nature of love further exposes the brokenness of the men and women who seem to be floating aimlessly along the Nile. However, as is often the case in these particular stories, perhaps the truth comes from Poirot himself. While many of the characters bend the meaning of love to serve their own purposes, Poirot understands that love means something different entirely. Opening the film with the story of his own tragic romance, Poirot is told that love turns a person’s ‘flaws into freckles’. Under this description, love becomes an act of grace that celebrates their person’s strengths yet also acknowledges their imperfections and accepts them anyways. Unselfish and unconditional, it is this type of love that leaves a mark on the soul in the healthiest of ways. 

Though its been 85 years since its first publication, Death on the Nile seems timeless. Anchored by lively performances and expansive scenery,Branagh brings the murderous venture to life with stunning beauty. Most importantly though, with multiple twists and turns, Death on the Nile remains a bloody good time for anyone willing to make the trip.

Death on the Nile is available in theatres on Friday, February 11th, 2022.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Agatha Christie, Annette Bening, Armie Hammer, Death on the Nile, Gal Gadot, Hercule Poirot, Kenneth Branagh, Letitia Wright, russell brand

Why I Love (and Fear) Jordan Peterson & Russell Brand

August 22, 2018 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

Jordan Peterson and Russell Brand

tldr version

Jordan Peterson
and Russell Brand
both see a
current crisis
and both see it as
primarily “spiritual”

however, for each,
there are issues
when it comes to how
*truth*
and “spirituality” relate

and how they relate
is vital

bit longer version

fanboying

i love me some
Peterson and Brand

always generally dug
Brand’s flicks
and standup,
and have been a
fan of his podcast/YouTube
for a year plus

(fun fact:
the pic above is
from once when
Peterson went
on said podcast;
and don’t they look
smashing together?
🙂 )

Peterson came to
my attention
more gradually,
but then like a
hurricane recently –
seriously:
give him a Google
and marvel at the
moment he’s been having

i have Recovery and
12 Rules for Life
on my bedside table
(along with some more
explicitly Christiany books
and a tablet, upon which
i theoretically read,
but mainly just
obsess over guitar gear
i don’t really need)

both are excellent texts
and both feel
supremely plugged in
to a zeitgeisty sense
that something’s amiss,
in general,
with ppl rn

(i agree)

both also,
and both men
in their public lives,
propose something
like a
spiritual cause
for this
“something amiss” –
what might be called a
“spiritual crisis of meaning”
stemming from
God
(or something like God;
more on this later)
no longer holding
significant sway
for so many

(i agree for sure)

caveating

please note here
that these gentlemen
are obv far more complex
than i’m making
them seem, as is
this whole topic
(and i’m not
even addressing
their politics);
i’m attempting to
essentialize here;
i considered deep diving,
but am refraining
for the sake of brevity
and also because i’m
kind of lazy

in any case, here are
some decent articles
related to this post;
go ahead and Google –
there’s plenty more:

“Jordan Peterson vs. Russell Brand”

“The religious hunger that drives Jordan Peterson’s fandom”

“Is Dr. Jordan Peterson A Gateway Drug to Christianity, Or Just A Highbrow Joel Osteen?”

here are two of my own,
also related:

“Get Re-Enchanted: Stranger Things 2, Pop Culture & God”

“What IT Means (and How *Any* Good Story “Means”)”

problematizing

but here’s the problem:
as much as i *love*
Peterson and Brand’s
respective approaches
to the significance
of the spiritual,
i *fear* that
neither approaches
*truth* sufficiently

what do i mean?

well, with Brand,
the issue appears to be
lack of specificity –
many manifestations
of spirituality
might address the
problems he sees
(note that his book
is based on the 12-steps,
which speaks of “God,
as we understand him”)

and while this is
well and good to a point,
of course,
in the end,
truth commonly understood
is *specific* and *exclusive*
by its nature,
and not addressing this,
it seems to me,
is a problem

for Peterson,
the issue is confusing
*truth*
with something like
“what works”

he tells us to live by a
certain ethic
and seek a certain meaning
grounded in
certain Jungian archetypes,
not because it is true
or because the
archetypes are –
at least not in
the usual
historical/correspondence
way generally meant –
but because it
just happens to reflect
how things have gone
re: humans
when it comes to
our psychology
from an
evolutionary perspective;
it is what is and
therefore what “works”
and therefore “true”

again, all well and good
to attach some
functionality to truth,
of course,
perhaps,
but conflating the two,
it seems to me,
is a problem

also, this is why
Peterson kind of
dodges/ducks/complicates
the question he’s
often asked:
“do you believe in God;”
he may or may not,
but he definitely
does not think of
that question primarily
as it relates to *truth*
commonly understood

finning

and so:
when it comes to
Peterson and Brand,
i love them,
but i also fear them

i find them both
engaging and articulate
and brilliant, etc.,
and *correct;*
but, concerningly,
on this point,
only to a point

i want people to
hear their message(s) –
i know good can come
of it –
but i fear ill may too

i see them as
important,
*prophetic* even
in this current moment –
both have
cut through the mix
in a way that’s so
unusual anymore,
given the noise –
but probably only
“part way down the path”
to the true destination
they both seem to
have glimpsed
(or, better,
which has glimpsed them):

not God
“as we understand him,”
not a “God” that
simply works,
but the *true* God

the true God
as He really is

 

Filed Under: Books, Current Events, Editorial, OtherFish Tagged With: 12 rules for life, 12 step, alt right, archetype, books, Canada, Christian, God, jordan peterson, jung, meaning, modern, politics, professor, Psychology, recovery, religion, russell brand, social justice warrior, spiritual, twelve step

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