Somewhat slow ensemble mystery

Rating: 6/10 (31 January 2018)

I think this story would have better been served as a limited mini-series on TV than as a movie. There are SO many characters that need to be developed for both the mystery and for the sake of just developing the characters so we care. But 2 hours isn't a lot of time. If it weren't a cast jam-packed with stars, it would have been even harder to care about them. Because there were sooo many characters, I found myself a bit bored at times. It was just impossible to get to know everyone enough to feel invested in them. That said, the conclusion at the end was quite good - how it all came together and the who/what/why/how of the murder. I hadn't evet read the book, so I didn't know how it would end, and the conclusion did surprise me. If you're looking for a suspense/thriller, this is not that. But if you're looking for a mystery, this does a pretty good job of it.