All-Star Christie
Tom S. | New York City | 04/04/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the second of four Agatha Christie films from the producers of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, and it's great fun. The inimitable Sir Peter Ustinov is Hercule Poirot, and his relaxing(!) Nile cruise is rudely interrupted by murder and mystery. His fellow passengers are the usual A-list assembly of stars, and there's an unusually high mortality rate among them--several murders and a few maimings. Everyone aboard wants to kill the beautiful heiress (Lois Chiles), and someone succeeds. Is it the crooked lawyer (George Kennedy)? The crooked doctor (Jack Warden)? The slanderous romance novelist (Angela Lansbury) and her nervous daughter (Olivia Hussey)? The larcenous lady (Bette Davis) and her grim companion (Maggie Smith)? The unhinged romantic rival (Mia Farrow)? Or is it her handsome, mysterious husband (Simon MacCorkindale)? Poirot gets to the bottom of it, natch, accompanied by eye-popping views of the great river and its tourist attractions, sensible direction by John Guillermin (THE TOWERING INFERNO), and a moody, graceful musical score by the great Nino Rota (THE GODFATHER, Franco Zeffirelli's ROMEO AND JULIET). DEATH ON THE NILE is one of the best Christie film adaptations. Highly recommended."