Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh | 114 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Marwan Kenzari, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Josh Gad, Olivia Colman, Tom Bateman, Lucy Boynton, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr. , Sergei Polunin

Remakes are the big trend in recent years. Films from previous decades are being produced in abundance, Disney has even built a whole series around them with their new live action versions of old animation favorites. However, sometimes the world is ripe for a good remake. Agatha Christie books are not made into movies every year and the film version of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ was ready for an update. Add to that the fact that Kenneth Branagh takes the reins and the viewer can get ready for a rather intriguing murder mystery, if the focus is actually on Branagh.

In the lead role, Hercule Poirot, probably the best detective in the world, he plays the stars of heaven. He is the character that the viewer follows closely and therefore gets to know the best. With his imposing mustache and charming yet dour personality, Poirot jumps right off the screen. And that’s not the only thing that stands out. ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ looks beautiful. The shots of the surroundings that serve in the background are a feast for the eyes. But the different costumes and sets are certainly not wrong to look at.

A good murder mystery, however, takes the viewer into the detective’s mindset and gets to know a wide variety of characters through this central figure. In this respect, Kenneth Branagh falls a bit short as a director. Explanations and alibis are either too simplistic or too vague. This ensures that the middle of the film loses a lot of momentum and at times even becomes a bit boring. At the same time, towards the end of the film, Poirot takes such big leaps that the solution is even a bit obvious.

And that’s all a shame because with names like Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Olivia Coleman and Daisy Ridley, we can speak of a huge star cast. It’s also not that there is a bad performance, but on the other hand, none of the actors leave a huge impression. The ensemble thus comes across as supporting Branagh’s own character, when they should really just be full characters.

Despite all this, the film is still a great sit. It is clearly played with pleasure and this provides an energy that makes the playing time bearable, although it can be a bit boring at times. However, the somewhat predictable ending is unforgivable and mixed with the other shortcomings makes ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ just a fun film for a short while, and with such a director and cast, it falls a little bit. in return for.