Murder on the Orient Express
Year: 2017
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Tom Bateman, Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer & Daisy Ridley
Runtime: 114 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 21/04/22
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Tom Bateman, Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer & Daisy Ridley
Runtime: 114 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 21/04/22
The murder mystery genre arguably wouldn’t be as popular as it is today without the incredible skills of author Agatha Christie, particularly with her Poirot novels. The Belgian detective with his distinctive moustache and a keen eye for detail, Christie set the standard for murder mysteries with Poirot and her writings have been used as a template ever since. Whilst the genre has of course evolved over the years, the Poirot stories have endured and arguably aged like fine wines, with some of his more iconic stories being incredibly popular for adaptation, one such story being Murder on the Orient Express. With no less than four visual adaptations since its first publication in 1934, the latest big screen version of the film helmed by Kenneth Branagh sought to bring murder mysteries back big time with an ensemble cast and big production values. But does Murder on the Orient Express start to show its age when compared to more recent incarnations of the murder mystery genre.
Hoping to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation following a successful case, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is called to return to London with the utmost haste. Using his connections, Poirot scores a seat upon the Orient Express heading from Istanbul to Calais. However, when one of the passengers is murdered during the night and the train is brought to a halt following an avalanche, Poirot must uncover the murderer amongst the passengers before the snow is cleared and they can make their escape.
Hoping to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation following a successful case, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is called to return to London with the utmost haste. Using his connections, Poirot scores a seat upon the Orient Express heading from Istanbul to Calais. However, when one of the passengers is murdered during the night and the train is brought to a halt following an avalanche, Poirot must uncover the murderer amongst the passengers before the snow is cleared and they can make their escape.
To say Murder on the Orient Express is a good story is like declaring that water is wet. Of course it’s a good story! There’s a reason why the story is used as a template for almost all murder mystery stories ever since it released. With a foreboding and tense atmosphere present from the moment Poirot boards the train, all the way through to a surprise and emotionally captivating climax, what’s not to like? The large cast of suspects are all interesting and provide plenty to dissect in their backstories. But how does this particular adaptation fare? Well, it sounds silly to say that it’s rather simple…but it is. There’s nothing here that doesn’t illicit a ‘been there done that’ kind of response from the viewer, and whilst the film is visually very interesting, the fact that nothing has been done to the story could potentially put people off, especially if they’ve been exposed to a lot of murder mysteries over the years.
Branagh’s adaptation is very much that, a clear cut page to screen transfer of Christie’s story and whilst I don’t feel that is a bad thing, it does beg the question as to why bother adapting it for a fourth time if you’re not going to do anything new with it.
The performances are what you want to come for really. Branagh delivers a fantastic performance as Poirot, providing just the right amount of restrained eccentricity the character needs. But I’d say that it’s Johnny Depp’s Ratchett that steals the show here. Depp’s brings so much to the role and his suave yet intimidating presence is perfect.
With other big names such as Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Olivia Coleman as well as many more, Murder on the Orient Express is a true A-list powerhouse of a film and you’re never short of fantastic performances…but Depp’s really does outdo them all.
Branagh’s adaptation is very much that, a clear cut page to screen transfer of Christie’s story and whilst I don’t feel that is a bad thing, it does beg the question as to why bother adapting it for a fourth time if you’re not going to do anything new with it.
The performances are what you want to come for really. Branagh delivers a fantastic performance as Poirot, providing just the right amount of restrained eccentricity the character needs. But I’d say that it’s Johnny Depp’s Ratchett that steals the show here. Depp’s brings so much to the role and his suave yet intimidating presence is perfect.
With other big names such as Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Olivia Coleman as well as many more, Murder on the Orient Express is a true A-list powerhouse of a film and you’re never short of fantastic performances…but Depp’s really does outdo them all.
The real draw of this version of the story though is the high production values. Sets and costumes look gorgeous, the highly detailed CGI environments outside of the train give so much extra depth to the story, and the cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos utilises the cramped environment of the train very interestingly. If you’re feeling somewhat let down by the story lacking any new frills, just the way it looks should be enough to keep you watching all the way through.
I had a good time with Murder on the Orient Express, and I feel that it is one of the strongest adaptations of the story I’ve seen. That being said, the story can feel a little simple at times because Branagh hasn’t changed anything from Christie’s novel, which from a purist’s point of view I respect but from the view of someone who has seen decades worth of work riffing off and elaborating on Christie’s formula the twists may be easily spotted to the trained eye.
But it’s a drop-dead gorgeous film that has some excellent performances to boot, so I still recommend the film on the whole. Maybe it might be time to book a first-class ticket, kick back and check it out for yourself.
I had a good time with Murder on the Orient Express, and I feel that it is one of the strongest adaptations of the story I’ve seen. That being said, the story can feel a little simple at times because Branagh hasn’t changed anything from Christie’s novel, which from a purist’s point of view I respect but from the view of someone who has seen decades worth of work riffing off and elaborating on Christie’s formula the twists may be easily spotted to the trained eye.
But it’s a drop-dead gorgeous film that has some excellent performances to boot, so I still recommend the film on the whole. Maybe it might be time to book a first-class ticket, kick back and check it out for yourself.