Murder on the Orient Express

As an actor Kenneth Branagh has been Henry the Fifth, Iago in Othello, Victor Frankenstein, and now he’s taken on another famous literary character, Agatha Christie‘s meticulous master detective, Hercule Poirot in MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS which he also directs.

Even if you think you know this WhoDunit, which (screenplay by Michael Green) has changed quite a bit from the Agatha Christie version, you should treat yourself to this movie just to enjoy the gorgeous production value (shot with 65mm film cameras) both inside and outside of the famed train is sheer grandeur & class. The scenery makes you long to take a trip to Istanbul where the passengers, soon to be suspects, board. And I particularly love the scenes shot from outside of the train, panning the characters within.

Alexandra Byrne Costume Designer dresses to kill – “As a costume designer, you’re almost like a reverse detective,” she says. “The characters that the audience first meet have to be credible and, equally, they have to hold up to the scrutiny of someone backtracking through the film and piecing it all together. All the visual clues have to add up to that original credibility.” – Vanity Fair Article

Murder on the Orient Express offers very little tension or sparkling dialogue, but it’s perfectly timed for the holidays. I feel the movie is best enjoyed if you seep into it and let the cinematography unfold in front of you, there’s no need to guess the ending, just go along for the ride…

Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judie Dench, Penelope Cruz, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom, Jr., Willem DaFoe, Derek Jaccobi, Lucy Boynton, Manuel, Garcia-Rulfo

T&T LAMb Score: 3 outta 5