In Theaters Now
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley
Kenneth Branagh loves adapting well known works. This we know. He usually does a pretty good job and he usually is faithful to the original work. Both things are absolutely true with Murder on the Orient Express.
For those who don’t know, the story revolves around a detective who finds himself on a train with several interesting characters. The most bland character dies from multiple, erratic stab wounds. After the train is halted for a day or two by an avalanche, the detective must interview the remaining passengers and workers on the train and find out who dunnit.
Branagh delivers as “probably the greatest detective in the world” Hercules Poriot. Just enough Sherlock Holmes mixed with Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin to make you laugh without rolling your eyes. For people who aren’t familiar with one of the greatest stories ever told, you learn along with Poriot. See things as he sees them. It allows you to attempt to solve this complicated mystery on your own. It lays it out for you. But you have to be looking.
The cast, for the most part, holds up. Daisy Ridley shockingly and surprisingly has the best performance of the suspects. Veterans of the screen Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, and Penelope Cruz do what they do and are good enough as passengers on the train.
The makeup is great. Ratchett (played by Depp) is closer here to how I pictured that character than in other adaptations. The scars, just so, the hair, slicked back and to the side so that you know the character is a somewhere in between sleazeball and evil dude.
The production design was fantastic. They took the money and spent it. That’s the beauty of having a film set in a train car. You can make that box look incredible. The passing shots of the Express are visually stunning. This along with some sporadic, clever camera work makes the parts of the film that may bore keep your attention long enough to get to the next plot point.
All and all it’s going to be hard to take one of the most entertaining mysteries of all time and turn it into a disappointing movie. I feel like Murder on the Orient Express pretty much holds serve. It isn’t bad, it isn’t great, but especially if you don’t know the plot, it’s pretty damn good.
Is it Watchlist-worthy? Yes. See above.
