Kenneth Branagh Delivers a Skillful and Slick Update That Still Has Enough Emotional Punch

Rating: 8/10 (12 November 2017)

As much as the Murder on the Orient Express book is appreciated as a classic, I came into this movie without knowing the story. I want to start by talking about Hercule Poirot as a character. This movie really portrays Poirot in a Sherlock Holmes "esque" light. There's a point where Hercule takes someone out with a cane that felt like he was channelling Robert Downey Jr. in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. I don't mean this as a criticism though, the fact that Hercule is witty and funny along with being brilliant is much needed levity for this movie. Some people have complained that the movie is too comedic but without those opportunities to laugh, the beginning of this movie would be unbearably slow. Those moments are like the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. So, I liked Poirot and you needed a charismatic character at the centre because the other characters don't get developed much until the murder goes down. This movie looks like an ensemble, but it leans more heavily on Branagh as the main character than you would think.
The plot of Murder on the Orient Express is iconic, but the way movie portrays it, there's almost little to none. We get the initial setup of everyone boarding the train and other than some preliminary chitchat between Poirot and the other travellers and a tense exchange between Ratchett (Johnny Depp's character) and Poirot, very little happens. Only after the murder happens and the interrogations begin do we get to know everyone and does the plot kick into gear. Just like any great detective thriller, we don't know what's going on and we must unravel the mystery just as Poirot does. When we get to see more about the victim's past and what how appalling his/her actions were does the emotion kick and the stakes are raised considerably.
I want to go through the cast name by name and give them all credit but there's just too many names. Branagh is a little over-the-top as Poirot but I would argue that the movie needed that. Its a very theatrical performance (considering his background, it makes sense) but without him chewing the scenery, the movie would have dragged. Michelle Pfeiffer sold out in her role as Caroline, it was nice to see her again. Daisy Ridley shines as Mary Debenham, I hope she keeps picking up more work. Leslie Odom Jr. had a lot screen presence as Dr. Arbuthnot. I appreciated the fact that Johnny Depp pulled back a little as Ratchett but he still borders overacting. If there was anyone I didn't like; Judi Dench was so stiff she was annoying but that was also how the character was written. I normally like Josh Gad but with the screen time divided between so many actors and actresses, he was kneecapped by a lack of room to show his stuff.
When you can't bank on the character development or the plot, you need top notch window dressing to help move things along. Luckily the Orient Express is up to the task. The visual effects, the costuming and the exotic atmosphere transport you to another world. I've seen it done more impressively but they really do a stellar job since the movie had a relatively modest budget ($55 million). We get to go to Istanbul, Jerusalem and travel in snowy vistas. We also get to see past events through an old-timey projector and the characters watch it like a movie. Branagh is wise to linger on this stuff and it adds to the escapism that the story can provide. When you go to a period piece movie, you want to be wowed and dropped off in this new world and I think Murder on the Orient Express accomplished that.
I came out of this movie wanting to go read the book, so I don't want to be too critical. But the biggest downfall of this movie is that much like the train the characters are travelling on, the movie takes a while to start picking up steam. The opening with Poirot is fun but after that first 15 minutes, the movie slows to a crawl. It relies on Branagh and the beautiful vistas to carry it and while I remained interested, I think a lot of people will be mentally checking out. But the movie does get going and I think if you're willing to be patient, you'll get what you want in the reveal.
Talking about that reveal though, I thought it was fantastic. I want to credit Agatha Christie for originally conceiving it but I also want to credit Branagh and the writers for doing a solid job of yanking the rug out from under you. Its an excellent wrap-up and I was emotionally impacted by it. It was unpredictable, fresh and through the efforts of the excellent cast and the shocking nature of the crimes, it raised the rating I was going to give the movie by at least a half a point.
I was excited to see this movie and although it wasn't amazing, I wasn't disappointed by it either. This is an adult movie though; the trailer makes it look there's going to be more action and there isn't. If there weren't funny jokes sprinkled in, the movie would be too dry and other than the fans of the book, the rest of the audience would be bored to tears. I went in a group of 3, 2 of us liked it and the 3rd said it was boring and disappointing. If you like mysteries or period piece movies, this will be up your alley. I left wanting to read this book and they hint at a possible sequel that I would also be interested in seeing. If you're a relatively patient moviegoer that appreciates lavish set dressing, good acting and a unique twist, I'd recommend checking this out.