The train has left the station once more. Agatha Christie’s legendary murder mystery has a new, but not so fresh, version from Kenneth Branagh. The director of Thor and Cinderella is pulling double duty here behind and in front of the camera. In Murder on the Orient Express, he gets the most showy and spellbinding role of Detective Hercule Poirot. It could very well be in part because of his magnificent mustache that’s a work of art. I dare say a masterpiece.
Poirot is suppose to be taking it easy on the Orient Express, but when a passenger is found stabbed to death, his rest is short-lived. With a murderer in their midst, there are a dozen suspects and only the greatest detective can get to the bottom of it. Johnny Depp plays Ratchett, an art dealer that reeks of a gangster. Depp not only looks normal in this, but really chews on his character, getting more flavor than most of the all-star ensemble manages to. Ratchett has a butler (Derek Jacobi) and a personal secretary (Josh Gad) who surely are in it for the money because it ain’t for the love of their boss.
Michelle Pfeiffer plays Mrs. Hubbard, a widow that’s terrific at the sport of husband hunting. Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) is Mary Debenham, a governess beauty with an unmistakable mystique who has a forbidden love affair with Dr. Arbuthnot (Hamilton’s Leslie Odom, Jr.). They seem up to something with their secretive chats. Judi Dench can really do no wrong even if she’s not given a lot to do as Princess Dragomiroff. Her maid Hildegarde Schmidt (Olivia Coleman) doesn’t say much and the same goes for religious introvert Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz).
Sergei Polunin is Count Andrenyi, a devoted husband protecting his ill wife (Lucy Boynton) and has little patience for Poirot’s questions. Williem Dafoe plays Gerhard Hardman, a German professor with some secrets of his own; yet, his talent is tossed off in a hurry. In case you aren’t aware of what Dafoe can do, skip this and go discover him in The Florida Project. The truth is the train is too crowded for all passengers to be relevant. Instead, their famous faces become background images. I hate when that happens.
Murder on the Orient Express is an old-fashioned, stylish whodunit throwback that wants you to play the guessing game without investing too much in its characters. The small incidents and clues add a little involvement, mentally trying to put the pieces together. Ultimately, that’s what Christie wanted the readers to do then and what Branagh wants the audience to do now.
But where’s the intrigue in this version?
The interrogations are brisk and Poirot knows the answer before he even asks the question. Murder on the Orient Express moves on in a hurry, skipping some details and taking some short-cuts to get to the big reveal. Whether you know how it ends or not, you’re left with the same feeling of detachment. The motives are there, but the surprise is not.
Murder on the Orient Express is a weary ride that avoids going off the rails and wrecking. All is prevented by Branagh knowing how to spruce up a classic with amazing ambiance, sensational scenery, and cracking costumes. Portraying Poirot, he brings the right amount of charm and honor that will get you to go with him anywhere to solve a crime. His quirks, brilliance, and candor is what’s most enjoyable on this prosy passage.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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