Dog’s Movie House: “Murder On The Orient Express” Good Old-Fashioned Whodunnit!

Howdy Folks!  It’s The Kendog!

Johnny Depp as Ratchett in “Murder On The Orient Express”

 

 

 

You know the saying “they don’t make them like they used to?”  Well, in movies for the most part that’s true.  With the exception of a few filmmakers out there like Christopher Nolan and, to a lesser extent, Mel Gibson, the era of old-fashioned moviemaking has gone mostly the way of the Dodo.  Which is why it’s refreshing to see Kenneth Branagh’s polished version of Agatha Christie’s “Murder On The Orient Express” hit theaters this week.  As old-fashioned as they come in all the best ways, this film is an above average update featuring a captivating story, witty banter, and wonderful performances.

“Murder On The Orient Express” tells the tale of legendary detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) who after solving a case simply wants to rest, relax and read his Dickens.  Unfortunately on a trip to another case aboard the fabled Orient Express, murder occurs that forces him to see everyone as a suspect in a case that threatens to derail even Poirot’s vaunted intellect.

To tell you anymore would be to ruin a very interesting story.  Those of you who’ve read Christie’s novel or seen the 1974 film will probably know the ending, but that doesn’t make the journey any less enjoyable.  I will say the conclusion was a surprise to me as I haven’t either read the book or seen any other iteration of the movie.  This film is an artfully constructed mystery that works best if you have know prior knowledge going in.

Branagh the director has a great track record with period pieces.  His Shakespearean adaptations are classic and he brought the same heft to the first Thor film.  In this film he judiciously uses CGI to give us beautiful vistas from the Middle East to incredible snow-capped mountains.  There is something delightfully old-fashioned about the sweeping camera work that provides the spectacular establishing shots before moving inside the train for most of the drama.

Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green combine a couple of characters to give some of the story a more, shall we say, enlightened feel, but it all serves the story and is propelled by some terrific character actors.  Noted thespians such as Willem Defoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz and Dame Judi Dench put in good work as passengers and suspects, while Josh Gad continues his string (continuing from “Marshall”) of strong dramatic performances.   Daisy Ridley makes you forget all about Star Wars as a governess and veteran character actor Derek Jacobi provides a nice balance of wit and weariness as the valet of the Orient Express’s most dislikable passenger, an art smuggler by the name of Edward Ratchett (played by none other than Johnny Depp)

But the real star of the film is Branagh’s Poirot.  He’s a singular force of nature and his witticisms are a brash and humorous as the ridiculous mustache he sports.  (Or maybe the mustache is wearing him).  His techniques add spice to the story and there is a sense of melancholy to his genius.  It gives Poirot some serious needed weight as the sheer amount of supporting characters to leave a great deal of room for character development.   The supporting cast, as I said before, does a great job, but it’s in service to the story, not to the individual characters.

 

Overall, “Murder On The Orient Express” is a delightful experience, a throwback that harkens back to the movies of yesteryear while never seem old or dull.  It’s a damn good mystery with a damn good detective and I look forward to seeing more of Hercule Poirot’s exploits on the big screen! 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer!  So Sayeth The Kendog! 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *