Murder on the Orient Express
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Written by: Michael Green
Based on the novel by: Agatha Christie
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Olivia Colman, Judy Dench, Willem Dafoe, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi…..and Johnny Depp, I guess
Review by Stephanie Cooke
Murder on the Orient Express boasts a big budget and star studded cast to bring the classic Agatha Christie novel to life. The story revolves around a group of passengers who set off on the Orient Express only to discover one of them murdered after a terrible storm that leaves the train derailed from the tracks. The great detective Poirot happens to be on the train and takes the case to uncover who the murderer is amongst the passengers.
I have to admit that I was extremely sceptical about the whole thing going into it. I felt like this wasn’t at all the kind of film that I would enjoy and the cast of A-listers was a way of distracting us from the overall quality. The truth is that none of them really get a lot of screen time though. Because of the sheer number of characters and a story to tell within a limited amount of time, we really only get glimpses of each of them as Poirot (played by Kenneth Branagh) interviews them and tries to decipher who could’ve done the deed. Especially absent in a larger role is Judy Dench who is really on screen for a total of maaaaaaaybe 5 minutes? And maaaaaybe has a page worth of lines to read throughout the film? Her and Willem Dafoe were definitely very minor characters in the larger picture but even some of the bigger characters still didn’t get a lot of screen time.
That being said, none of that really distracts from the film. They could’ve cast just about anyone in the roles though; it would’ve been a great opportunity to showcase new and upcoming talents a bit more, but I understand Hollywood’s need to try to ensure a return investment on the money put into a film by casting the biggest stars possible… even when they do virtually nothing.
Murder on the Orient Express isn’t the best mystery that I’ve seen on the big screen but it’s up there for me as one of the better borderline blockbusters. The original Christie story is a classic for a reason so they just needed to adapt something that was already good onto the screen. Of course, we all know that’s easier said than done but I enjoyed watching the film. I have no experience with the source material or any Agatha Christie works in general (outside of adaptations) so I can’t say to that whether it’s good or not but the wonderful Allison O’Toole can speak to that and reviewed the theatrical release of the film when it came out. You can check out her review if you want the opinion of someone who knows the source material but from someone who had no horses in the race? I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.
Murder on the Orient Express Blu-ray Special Features:
- Agatha Christie: An Intimate Portrait
- Let’s Talk About Hercule Poirot
- Unusual Suspects (Part One, Two and Three)
- The Art of Murder
- All Aboard: Filming Murder on the Orient Express
- Music of Murder
- Director commentary by Kenneth Branagh and Michael Green
- Theatrical Trailers
- Gallery
- Deleted Scenes (with and without Commentary by Kenneth Branagh and Michael Green)
- Alternate Opening
- Newsreel (Extended)
- Breakfast
- Hotel Check-In
- Arasta Bazaar (Extended)
- Train Montage
- Departure
- Poirot Bedtime Rituals (with two alternates)
- Pierre Michel Interview
- Luggage
- Dreamscape
Verdict
Overall I have to say that I was really impressed with how much I was entertained by the film. It’s one of those films that doesn’t have a ton of rewatchability for me since the appeal largely revolves around the mystery but I enjoyed it and I do recommend checking out this adaptation for any mystery lovers out there.
