YEARS ago, my mum told me that when she was growing up, the Agatha Christie mystery series were her favourite books. Indeed, one of the books, Murder On The Orient Express, is considered one of the greatest stories ever written.
I’d bought a copy but I didn't finish reading it. That’s why I was so thrilled to learn about its movie adaptation. The cast of A-list actors in it only increased my excitement.
Published in 1934, the novel follows world-renowned Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) who attempts to solve what would become one of the most infamous crimes in history.
He is travelling on the fancy European train when one of its passengers, wealthy businessman Samuel Ratchett (Johnny Depp), is murdered.
Poirot begins to question the innocence of 13 stranded strangers on the train, where everyone of them is a suspect.
They are Princess Dragomiroff (Judi Dench), governess Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley), missionary Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz), Professor Hardman (Willem Dafoe), Ratchett’s assistant Hector MacQueen (Josh Gad), widow Caroline Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer), Dr Arbuthnot (Leslie Odom Jr), salesman Biniamino Marquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), the Princess’ maid Hildegarde Schmidt (Olivia Colman), Ratchett’s butler Masterman (Derek Jacobi), Count Rudolph Andrenyi (Sergei Polunin) and his wife Countess Helena Andrenyi (Lucy Boynton), and train conductor Pierre (Marwan Kenzari).
The film starts off by introducing the great Poirot and we learn how he operates. With a sharp eye for clues, he thinks fast and solves his mysteries just as quick. What a revelation!
However, the mystery murder on the train isn’t quite as easy and straightforward as his previous cases. Poirot must solve the mystery before he or she strikes again.
Every time Poirot encounters a dead end in his findings, you will also share his frustrations. But it’s a fun game to play as you yourself can come up with your own conclusion on who the perpetrator is.
Each character has a back story of their own, so pay full attention as it may be linked to the murder.
Plus, Poirot goes through his evidence and clues quickly, and he speaks with a French accent, so you don’t want to miss anything out.
Murder On The Orient Express is one of those movies with too much dialogue and little action. Still, it boasts a distinctive, smart and old-fashioned cinematic feel that pulls you into the story.
And when the ending arrives, when you discover who the culprit really is, you will without a doubt have your mind blown. The way the story explains the killer’s motives is nicely portrayed too.
For those who don’t know how the story turns out, you will learn why this is arguably one of the best fiction mysteries ever written.
Although the whodunit element is intriguing, I was admittedly more interested in the all-star ensemble cast. I never imagined they would all star in one film.
The trailer (the use of Imagine Dragons’ song, Believers, gives it oomph!), albeit short, made the movie all the more promising.
Now for the downside: Having watched the film, I have learnt to stop putting too high hopes on new film releases as chances are, I’m going to be disappointed.
For one, I had assumed that having an all-star cast would mean that Murder On The Orient Express) would have an explosion of talent on screen.
Alas, it turned out to be... meh. The film is mostly centred on Poirot carrying out his investigations and interrogating suspects.
The rest of the characters each has little to offer to the storyline, making their respective screentime limited. But even with so little chance to shine, each actor (excluding Branagh) thankfully left a memorable enough impression.
The star of the show is obviously Branagh, who gives an outstanding portrayal of Hercule Poirot (try pronouncing his name with a French accent!), complete with his iconic mustache and French accent.
I’m not sure if his accent is correct but it sounds believable enough to me. How he manages to stay in character the whole time is incredible.
The film has a bit of drama when Poirot announces that he wants to take a break from solving mysteries.
On the whole, I was floored by the film’s setting. The train and the characters’ costumes all reflect the 1930s. The train travelling across Europe also reminded me of my dream European escapade.
In a nutshell, Murder On The Orient Express is a unique take on murder mysteries. Those who love whodunit stories should definitely check it out.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Starring Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer
Duration 114 minutes
Rating P13