Agatha Christie, 21st century style

Rating: 6/10 (3 December 2017)

It sounds like a fun idea. Take a classic Agatha Christie-story which has last been made into a film more than forty years ago, put together an ensemble cast with a mix of Hollywood stars and British stage actors, and see what 21st century film making can add to that.
As for that 21st century treatment: computer generated effects can certainly spice up even a traditional film like 'Murder on the Orient Express'. I was impressed by the images of the steam train moving through Istanbul as it must have looked in the 1930's. Or by the scenes in which an avalanche descends from high up in the mountains on the fast moving train in the valley below.
Another modern element that director Kenneth Branagh touches upon very briefly, is the interesting question if our criminal law system is morally just. It's a pity that the screenplay doesn't give this subject more than a few remarks, because it could have added an extra dimension to this traditional film.
Apart from this, the film is what you'd expect it to be. The cinematography is breathtaking: everything looks picture perfect, from early 20th century Jerusalem to the high mountains where the train gets stuck. The stars do what they are supposed to do, but in a film like this the emphasis is more on the story and the claustrophobic setting than on the acting performances. It is a pity that great actors like Judy Dench and Derek Jacobi don't get more screen time, but that is the consequence of an ensemble cast. It was nice, though, to see that Michelle Pfeiffer is still going strong. It had been a while since she was cast in a major big budget production.
Of course, the screenplay demands a rather considerable suspension of disbelief. Some story elements seem to come out of the blue, and viewers have to keep very concentrated in order not to miss some detail that is essential for the crime solving process. But that's not unusual in a screen adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel.
'Murder on the Orient Express' is nice entertainment, and it is good to see that Hollywood is still willing to invest considerable budgets in this kind of traditional film. But this is not a movie that will surprise the viewer.
After having seen this film, there is only one mystery to be solved: will Branagh take on 'Death on the Nile' as a follow up project, as the last scene of 'Murder' suggests?