Sunday, November 12, 2017

Review: Murder On The Orient Express

Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
Kenneth Branagh saved the best role for himself in the remake that he has directed of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express." As the legendary Hercule Poirot, Branagh appears to be having fun as he struts about with braggadocio as the fuss budget Belgian detective who can't tear himself away from a good case and is driven crazy by the sight of a crooked tie.

So, it's a shame that the rest of the picture feels like the type of overstuffed film from the 1970s - from "Airport" and "The Towering Inferno" to Sidney Lumet's much better version of "Orient Express" - that features a who's who of talent who are mostly relegated to bit parts. Branagh's film boasts an impressive cast: Branagh, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Willem Dafoe, Josh Gad and Penelope Cruz.

The film opens with an over-the-top sequence in Turkey, during which Poirot is called upon to unravel a mystery regarding a theft that was likely carried out by one of three religious leaders. He then boards the titular train, where he is surrounded by a group of strangers and, not long after the train takes off, approached by one of them (Depp), a criminal of some sort who believes that his life is in danger and wants Poirot's help.

Poirot declines and, shortly thereafter, a murder occurs on the train, which then becomes trapped in a mountain following an avalanche. Naturally, everyone is a suspect and Poirot quickly begins formulating the scene of the crime in his head while interviewing all of the aforementioned, plus several other minor characters. Much of the film's early scenes lack energy, despite Branagh's wily turn as Poirot - who, as it turns out, is the only character given any sort of development.

Poirot pulls clues from the oddest of places, so much so, in fact, that it's often difficult to follow his line of reasoning. The finale includes a clever twist, albeit one that you can probably see coming if you stop to think about it. As a filmmaker, Branagh has worked wonders with Shakespeare and  independent dramas ("Dead Again"and "Peter's Friends"), but his bigger budget work ("Thor") and two remakes of classics ("Sleuth" and "Orient Express") have been lesser endeavors. Other than Branagh's inspired turn as Poirot and the film's final twist, this is a remake that wasn't entirely necessary.

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