Sumptuously Produced. Technically Polished. Narratively Dull & Uninteresting.

Rating: Null/10 (13 February 2018)

Furbished with polished attire, neat cinematography, star-studded ensemble & a moustache that overshadows everything, the second feature film adaptation of Agatha Christie's famous novel is a sumptuously produced mystery thriller that's narrated in a dull, uninspiring & uninteresting fashion.
The story of Murder on the Orient Express follows the investigation that's set into motion when a passenger is found brutally murdered on the train. Handling the case is celebrated detective Hercule Poirot who deduces that the killer is still on board and tries to solve the mystery before the train reaches his destination.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the movie follows the book closely yet is unable to create moments of genuine interest & nail-biting tension. Characters are poorly written & thinly sketched. The only thing that stands out about Hercule Poirot is his moustache. And further bogging down the plot are its clichéd elements & lack of suspense.
But the film is refined in technical aspects, at least to an extent. Its period setting is finely illustrated. Camerawork is crisp, the images retain their sharpness at all times, and also benefit from its apt use of colour palette & lighting. Editing is a misfire, for the story isn't tightly knitted and twists lack the element of surprise. And the background score is serviceable at best.
Coming to the performances, Murder on the Orient Express packs an impressive ensemble in Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe & Johnny Depp, and they all chip in with forgettable inputs. Still, it's not entirely their fault, for they had paper-thin material to work with and while Branagh gets the most screen time, he fails to make the most of it.
On an overall scale, Murder on the Orient Express is interesting in bits n pieces but for the most part, there is nothing about it that leaves a lasting impression. Script is the main culprit while Branagh's direction is missing the required creativity, and the sum of it results in an adaptation that's faithful yet mediocre & unstimulating. Casual moviegoers probably won't mind its shortcomings but it could've been so much more had it gotten everything right.