Fans of classic thrillers rejoice!
Producer, director and co-star Kenneth Branagh have revisited Agatha Christie‘s best loved murder mystery.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS is a clever tale of colorful characters all of them suspect on one of the world’s most luxurious trains. It happens when one of the passengers is killed in his compartment as the train speeds through the night.
Making matters worse is that the Orient Express gets stalled in a major snow drift.
Against that backdrop ace detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) employs his masterful deductive, whodunnit skills. It’s one man’s race against time to solve the puzzle before yet another potential murder goes down on the rails.
The 1974 version of the movie starred among others Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Sean Connery, Jacqueline Bisset, Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Perkins and was directed by Sidney Lumet.
I believe it’s fair to suggest that Branagh has done a credible job in re-staging the mystery complete with its funky conclusion.
From a visual standpoint the movie is outstanding—both inside the luxurious train carriages and outside in the countryside the train travels through.
The same can be said of the assembled 2017 cast which includes Penelope Cruz, Willem DaFoe, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer and Johnny Depp.
It is surely a lavish ride as evidence and suspects begin to pile up.
For my taste?
It’s a bit too talky.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.
My grade: B-
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings during Kansas City’s Morning News on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.
I’m a million years old.
I can’t wait to see it.
🙂