MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS review by Ronnie Malik - Kenneth Branagh directs an all-star cast

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Director: Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr., Tom Bateman, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Penélope Cruz, Richard Clifford, Josh Gad, Johnny Depp, Derek Jacobi, Sergei Polunin, Lucy Boynton, Marwan Kenzari, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Olivia Colman, Willem Dafoe, Phil Dunster, and Miranda Raison

Rating: B+

It’s “all aboard” for a fun locomotive ride in another film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s detective novel Murder on the Orient Express. Award winning director Kenneth Branagh, brings a lush and visually stunning film with a glamorously stellar cast to take us step by step through a puzzle solving a whodunit mystery. Those familiar with Christie’s novel will probably already know the outcome of this murderous tale but there are still plenty of twists and turns colorfully displayed to keep movie audiences entertained.

Renowned detective Hercule (pronounced “Air-kool”) Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) finds himself on board the luxurious Orient Express with a motley group of strangers sporting facades meant to keep their true intentions hidden. Making up the group of misfit travelers are crooked art dealer Edward Ratchett (Johnny Depp), sultry widow Caroline Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer), beautiful governess Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley), young doctor Arbuthnot (Leslie Odom Jr.) and German professor Gerhard Hardman (William Dafoe). The passenger list also includes aging Princess Dragomiroff (Judi Dench) and her loyal servant Hildegarde Schmidt (Olivia Colman), famous dancer Count Rudolph Andrenyi (Sergei Polunin) and his sickly wife Countess Elena Andrenyi (Lucy Boynton), along with Ratchett’s valet Edward Henry Masterman (Derek Jacobi) and bookkeeper Hector MacQueen (Josh Gad).

The train riders settle in for a comfortable plush journey, but when one of them is violently murdered, Hercule steps in to solve the crime. He is able to start piecing together the identity of the murderer by unveiling connections to a past crime that he could not solve. His investigation causes him to dig deep into his soul and questions his own sense and understanding of true justice.

Depp, portraying a 1930s gangster, looks like he is having a blast as he delivers his lines with a rather cheesy New York accent. Pfeiffer captures her character’s scheming ways as she glides through the train aisles looking for her next male victim. Dench pulls off her role as the grumpy demanding aristocrat that will never be happy to perfection. The remaining supporting cast all keep things interesting by adding a certain amount of pizzazz to the famous story. But one thing that throws this production off track is the missed opportunity to really develop some of the side characters. The director, who is also the lead actor, seemed focused on keeping the camera on himself.

Branagh is wonderful portraying the role of the dashing Belgian detective with a rather unusual sense of style. He sports the characters stylish mustache, flair for dress, and obsession for balance with finesse. Mastering personality quirks, Branagh cleverly delivers his characters amazing one-liners revealing the investigators straightforward transparent persona. The actor portrays a man that is brutally honest and blunt with just the right touch of humor to make him rather endearing.

At times the explanations for the clues leading to solving the crime become a bit confusing and that is where the film losses a some of its steam. The big reveal comes off as corny and does not pack the anticipated wow factor that those not familiar with the story might be waiting for. But the production is still a lavish extravaganza. The decadent train, gorgeous people, and amazing winter landscape along with some beautiful opening scenes in Jerusalem and Istanbul provide many visual wonders. Despite getting off track at times, Murder on the Orient Express, is still a fun trip into the past and will remind many of the old classic Hollywood mysteries that just aren’t made anymore. The final scene drops heavy hints of a sequel so stay ready and don’t miss the train to what hopefully will be an eventful ride.