Want to know what Kenneth Branagh’s ten favorite films are?
The UK website Sight and Sound recently asked the writer/director of last year’s Oscar-winning movie "Belfast" and he gave his choices, with "The Godfather" taking the top slot.
The others, in order: "Monster," "Cloud Atlas," "Black Narcissus," "Raging Bull," "The Exorcist," "Rashomon," "Citizen Kane," "Lady Bird," and "Do the Right Thing."
Of "Lady Bird," which was nominated for five Oscars in 2018, Branagh said: "An exquisite lightness of touch disguises depth and tenderness that quietly overwhelm the viewer."
He didn’t include any of his own well-received flicks such as "Thor," "Artemis Fowl," "Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein," or, indeed, "Belfast," for which he received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Branagh’s next film is another Agatha Christie adaptation, "A Haunting in Venice," with a stellar lineup of stars including new Best Actress Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, SNL alum Tina Fey, and two of his buddies from "Belfast," Jamie Dornan and the youngster Jude Hill, who played a fictionalized version of young Ken in the film. Branagh will also star, taking on the role of Hercule Poirot, one of Christie’s most beloved characters, a Belgian detective that featured in 33 of her novels.
Deadline says "A Haunting in Venice" may well have its world debut in September at the Venice Film Festival.
“Nothing is set but the prospect has been discussed and we understand the film is likely to be submitted to the festival for consideration once it is complete in the coming months,” the site reported, noting that the film is down for a September 14 opening, which dovetails nicely with the film fest’s August 30-September 9 schedule.
*This column first appeared in the March 29 edition of the weekly Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.
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