A single mistake

Rating: 7/10 (9 December 2017)

I was quite saddened when I walked out of the cinema: it was very hard for me to accept that, while the film was nearly perfect in almost all technical aspects, a film that you could feel that those involved took their effort in making it as perfect as they could, it failed at one of the most important: its pacing.
Let's immediately start with this issue the film had, which ultimately resulted in the rating I chose to gave it. The problem was that, particularly the whole murder solving part of the film, felt almost rushed, too quick. It all felt too obvious, almost too simple in deduction, as if anyone could have solved the case (and I, not having read the book or seen the previous film, did solve it a bit earlier than the revelation scene, due to the way clues where showed). My assumption is that producers allowed only a short lenght to the film, for commercial purposes, which lead to heavy cuts on that part of the film. I personally think that it would have been wiser to cut some of the scenes from the first third of the film: it takes about 10-15 minutes for the viewer to finally be aboard the Orient Express. Those 15 minutes, which did introduce Poirot and the other characters, could have been shortened or even cut altogether, in my opinion, even though they where fun, as they didn't focus on the main story. With a better pacing, the film could have decisively been saved.
Another thing I didn't enjoy was the score: it felt too lightening, especially in the revelation scene, when it should have been much darker, and it being too lightening in that scene ruined most of the moral ambiguity that the finale required.
Despite these two aspects, Murder had outstanding photography (I particularly liked the final shot), the settings (The choice of not displaying the revelation scene inside the dining hall, as, it is my understanding, Lumet's version did, but a much more scenographic setting), and notable is Branagh's impersonation and acting of Poirot, did with great cure, and which I particularly liked.
Ultimately, I do consider worth my ticket, although not at the levels of satisfaction I hoped. I hope that, for the planned sequel, Branagh will reprise at least the role of Poirot.