The great Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is attempting to holiday when he is summoned back East to consult on a murder. In order to arrive as quickly as possible, Poirot travels by rail on the illustrious Orient Express. The assortment of passengers on the train vary from an African doctor en route to England to a car salesman from the States. But the main player is an unscrupulous art dealer named Ratchett.
The businessman approaches Poirot one morning claiming that his life is in danger. Later that night, Rachett's fears come true as he is found murdered aboard the train that has become derailed in an avalanche overnight. Now with a killer on board, the world famous detective must determine the motive and find the suspect, least he strike again.
This 2017 film by acclaimed director and actor Kenneth Branagh was rather engaging. For an adaptation of the treasured mystery novel by Agatha Christie, it was pretty faithful. The first about 15 minutes of the film are brand new. But I think this is was vital to the movie as it establishes the foibles and quirks of Poirot who is a bit of a 1930s law-enforcing version of Sheldon Cooper. There was also an extra 'action' scene not really in the novel that I think was added just to speed up the pace a bit. The closing scene in which the killer is revealed differs from the book as well. It doesn't change who the murder is but it does expand the set which for the most part is confined to a snowbound train.
The film is comprised of an all-star cast. Johnny Depp is the victim Ratchett. It's nice to see him in a role where he's not portraying an odd-ball character from a Tim Burton feature or a Disney pirate film. Batman Returns actress Michelle Pfeiffer, Willem Dafoe, Daist Ridley, and Dame Judi Dench highlight the impressive list of actors attached to this film. But the shining star of this film is Branagh who does triple duty as director, actor, and producer of the film. His portrayal of Hercule Poirot rivals that of the amazing Albert Finney's in the Academy Award winning 1974 film version.
Murder of the Orient Express was a fun way to spend a couple of hours at the movies. It's the type of film that is best seen on a cold day, snuggled up with a wife and a couple of cats. There's a fantastic Easter egg that gives potential for a sequel and I really hope that happens because I really enjoyed the character. So much, that when the library opens tomorrow, I'm going head over to check out one of Christie's Poirot mysteries.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment