A Decent Remake of a Classic Mystery

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2017)

Before everyone gets annoyed about this film being an unnecessary remake, consider how long it has been since the acclaimed Sidney Lumet feature film. The modern master of Shakespearean films, Kenneth Branagh, decides to step behind the camera and also don the famous mustache (though more unconventional) of Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective, Hercules Poirot, in this slightly updated take on the classic whodunit thriller.
A brief overview of the plot: Detective Hercules Poirot boards the famous Orient Express for a much holiday from crime. However this is not meant to be as one of the passengers is brutally slain in the middle of the night and each of the other twelve passengers is a suspect as each harbors a dark secret and motive for murder.
The script for the film is basically the same as its source material. This film does put a little more emphasis on following its detective around than on development of the primary players in the mystery which does detract from the story at times. However the core answer to the mystery is the same as in the conclusion of the novel where Poirot presents his theories on the crime and the solution becomes clear.
As the famous literary detective, Branagh provides his own unique take on the character. He does capture Poirot's brilliant arrogance that help make his sleuthing skills renowned. Adopting a more believable French accent than his predecessor, Albert Finney, Branagh does mind his pronunciations though his natural British accent is slightly audible but doesn't take over and derail his faux French. The acclaimed actor-director does tend to focus a little too much on his character during intervals of the main mystery, but has the gravitas to lead the charge and bring the story full circle.
Branagh and his casting directors do a decent job of filling the shoes of the 1974 film's illustrious cast of characters. Only two characters are changed from the original novel and prior film as the elegant Penelope Cruz plays the role of the missionary (Ingrid Bergman previously played the same role with a different name, but was German like the novel) as a Hispanic woman to match Cruz's own heritage (a not unwelcome change as it doesn't take away from the part she plays) and the talented Leslie Odom, Jr. plays the role of Colonel Arbuthnot, a doctor in this case instead of a straight-forward solider as Sean Connery in the original film, and provides some diversity as he is African-American. The likes of Dame Judi Dench (Princess Dragmonoff), Olivia Colman (Fraulein Schmidt), Daisy Ridley (Mary), Willem Dafoe (Cyrus Hardman), Josh Gad (Hector McQueen) and the gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer (Mrs. Hubbard) also grace the cast with their unique talents, but none quite get the development they really deserve but all work with what little is given to them and craft their characters into enigmas that cannot be trusted. And lastly is the 'poor' victim, Ratchet' played by an ever sleazy Johnny Depp; finally a diverse role for the actor during 2017 after "Dead Men Tell No Tales". The actor develops believable mannerisms that give cause to also distrust Depp as Ratchet, yet Depp doesn't turn into a cartoonish figure. He remains aloof and mysterious and with his demise, a figure who gave all but Poirot and his friend, Boc, reason to off him.
Behind the camera, Kenneth Branagh displays his usual keen eye for crafting an atmosphere that puts the viewer in the story with the characters. With a fully built train model, complete with claustrophobic corridors, we are as trapped as the passengers of the Orient Express. The director's decision to also film on 65mm film (like fellow British filmmaker Christopher Nolan) lends to the 1930s setting of the film, giving an old-fashioned feel to the film's aura.
Give this one a chance and you might enjoy even if you might know the story already.