MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

BRANAGH REBOOTS CLASSIC

By Fiore

Of all the Hercule Poirot mysteries to make, or remake, it’s rather ambitious for Kenneth Branagh to select MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.  The Agatha Christie story is a literary icon, and only the culturally retarded would not know of the detective or his most famous case.  Retelling a murder mystery when nearly everyone already knows who the killer is, is a monumental task.  Branagh is a master filmmaker, but even he cannot accomplish the undertaking.  Instead, this version of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS appears more of an opportunity for him to play a role he has always coveted, and nothing more.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS features extremely compelling cinematography.  Credit Haris Zambarloukos for the spectacular visuals.  Many of the train scenes seem to be purloined from Disney’s THE POLAR EXPRESS.  The film was shot on 65mm film, a rarity in this digital age; but for Branagh, who both stars and directs, it was his medium of choice.

"In our digital age, it's increasingly rare for films to be shot on celluloid, and mostly when they are, it's 35mm,” said Branagh.  “We are shooting on 65mm.  So, in crude terms, it's twice the size of the 35mm negative.  It essentially means, in layman's terms, that it looks sharper, richer, more colorful, and it feels like you're inside it.  That's what 65mm does for me, and I wanted to take the audience onto the train.  That's why we chose that format." 

Additional tinkering with the story is detrimental to its telling.  Screenwriter Michael Green has adapted Christie’s original tale to infuse elements of race, war and politics.  These themes are unnecessary and only serve to detract from the story, and provide characters the opportunity to make biting comments on America.  Definitely, unnecessary.  

Green’s script also suffers at the hands of Editor Mick Audsley.  During the second act, the interrogation of the suspects, while vital, drags mercilessly.  This should be a cat and mouse sequence, but plays like sleep-ease.

Famed detective Hercule Poirot has just completed solving a robbery in Jerusalem when he is called back to London.  He boards the famed Orient Express passenger train for transport, but a murder is committed on the train before it reaches its destination.  Poirot is asked to solve the mystery before the train reaches the station, and the local authorities are called.

Starring with Branagh are:  Johnny Depp; Michelle Pfeiffer; Josh Gad; Penelope Cruz; Derek Jacobi; Willem Dafoe; Lucy Boynton; Sergei Polunin; Judi Dench; Olivia Colman; Leslie Odom, Jr.; Tom Bateman; and Daisy Ridley.  Of all these fine actors, Branagh seems to be having the most fun.

Fans of the Agatha Christie novels balked with Branagh’s interpretation of Poirot’s mustache.  In the books, it is described as a fine, thin handle-bar mustache; but Branagh’s version looks like something Kurt Russell would sport while playing a Western.  Fans are always hard to please, but this film has more problems than the style of mustache. 

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, made in the 70’s, holds up better than this latest offing.  The only actor who seems to be plying his full talents is Branagh.  The rest are doing yeoman’s duty.  The script updates are unnecessary and distracting.  Sometimes, usually most, the agendas do not fit.  This version of the mystery classic will only satisfy those ignorant of a literary giant, like Hercule Poirot.