Murder on the Orient Express -- a review

I first saw the original Murder On The Orient Express back in the late seventies, maybe early eighties, on the then nascent cable TV, which was still pretty much unknown and struggling for viewers. My mother was an early subscriber, having been lured in with the idea of watching movies uncut, uninterrupted--and usually very late at night, which was when the cable channels would air the more racy, adult-themed stuff. Watching Murder On The Orient Express back then was my introduction not only to its hero, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, but to his creator, Agatha Christie. And the movie imbued in me a deep fascination with the character that led me to seek out the Poirot books.

The new film, which stars Kenneth Branagh as Poirot (and was directed by him as well), is extremely faithful to the original story--which meant that I knew going in who the killer would be. But that did not bother me; I was never one of these people who gets overly bent out of shape over spoilers. Because, the way I see it, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. Besides, I wanted to see how Branagh, who I always thought was a skilled director (with Henry V and Thor being among my favorites of his films), would handle this material.

And he did not disappoint.

His take on Poirot is slightly more warmer and charming than Albert Finney’s Belgian detective in the original. While Finney was a bit more stern and offbeat (although no less fascinating to me) Branagh’s Poirot becomes more and more human as he peels away each layer of the mysterious case of the Murder On The Orient Express, although he still maintains his analytical mind. And while the original film, well-directed by Sydney Lumet, treated its case with cold captivation, Branagh’s film becomes more profound as it also reveals the high cost of murder.

Much like the original, the remake has an impressive cast that features Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, William Dafoe, Olivia Coleman and Penélope Cruz. All of whom are very good in their parts. If you’ve never seen the original film and are looking for a good mystery this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with the new Murder On The Orient Express. But even murder mystery fans who know the story might enjoy this refreshed, vibrant take on Christie’s classic tale. I’m actually hoping to see Branagh tackle another case as Piorot in the future. --SF