Death on the Nile

Surprise!
As I said yesterday, Lisa changed movies for this week. I had already written my post on "The Mirror Crack'd", but why not add at least a quick one for "Death on the Nile"?
Let me say first that like Margaret Rutherford isn't the Miss Marple of the books, Peter Ustinov doesn't fit the description of Hercule Poirot of the books in my opinion. But what can I say? I love Peter Ustinov (and am still sad about missing the chance to see him live once)!
So I actually watch "Death on the Nile" every time I catch it on TV, for him and some of the others in the star-studded cast.

I'll try to keep the plot short (still with spoilers, though) because most of you probably know it, anyway.

Jackie and Simon are engaged. As Simon needs a job, Jackie asks her friend Linnet, an heiress, to hire him. Linnet does, Simon and she fall in love and get married. Jackie follows them on their honeymoon to Egypt and joins the cruise on the Nile. One evening she gets drunk and shoots Simon in the leg.
The next morning, Linnet is found dead in her cabin.
Of course, Poirot is asked to investigate among the many suspects all of who have their reasons to fear or hate Linnet. The only ones with an alibi are Simon who was in bed due to his injury and Jackie who had been sedated by a doctor on board after the shooting incident.
Two more people get killed, Linnet's maid Louise who had probably tried to blackmail the perpetrator and Mrs. Otterbourne who announces to have seen Louise's killer, but gets shot before she can say the name.
In the end, Poirot gathers everyone how he likes to do and reveals that everything has been Jackie's brilliant plan. She and Simon had always been lovers and just wanted Linnet's money.
Jackie had pretended to shoot Simon and ensured he was left alone long enough to kill Linnet and then shoot his own leg for his alibi. Jackie killed Louise and then Mrs. Otterbourne.
Jackie confesses everything and embraces Simon. Poirot notices too late that she has grabbed the pistol to shoot Simon and herself.

I admit that I don't think the plan was that brilliant. It depended too much on luck and coincidence for my taste, and if I hatched a murder plan, I wouldn't want to rely on luck.
Nevertheless, I enjoy the movie, with all the weak spots.
Let me present the passengers, their motives, and my opinion on them.

David Niven is Colonel Race who's helping Poirot with the investigation. He's on board because of ...

... George Kennedy as Andrew Pennington, Linnet's US trustee who's trying to hide having embezzled money.

Jane Birkin as the maid not treated well by Linnet.

Bette Davis as Mrs. Van Schuyler who is very keen on Linnet's gorgeous pearl necklace (which is missing, but is brought back) ...

... and Maggie Smith as her companion Miss Bowers whose family was ruined by Linnet's father.

Angela Lansbury as the novelist Salome Otterbourne who has been sued by Linnet for a book she has written about her, and Olivia Hussey as her daughter Rosalee.

Jack Warden as Dr. Bessner who is afraid of being called out as a quack.

Jon Finch as James Fergusson who despises all rich people (definitely the weakest motive to kill Linnet).

I enjoy this movie not so much only as a whodunit, but for the sets, the costumes, the acting, and the comedy.
The production design was lavish, the scenery beautiful, that often helps to distract from a movie starting a bit slow, in this case with the backstory and the introduction of all the suspects.
The acting is wonderful.
Ustinov may not be completely the image of Poirot I have in my head (especially knowing Suchet), but I still love how he portrays him.
Niven was very English and charming.
Warden's accent was terrible, but you get that a lot with German accents in English productions.
Finch and Hussey are quite forgettable, but that has more to do with the roles than the acting. So was Kennedy.
Davis and Smith were fantastic together - not a surprise - and they had some of the best lines. I loved it.
And no one tell me Lansbury didn't have loads of fun with her role, the drunk writer of steamy "romance" novels! You get the first idea of that when she's introduced and dances tango with poor Colonel Race.

I said I was going to make this one short, so this is it from me. If you want more, go check out Lisa's post!