Murder on the Orient Express Review
Picture this: You’re on a train filled with strangers. A beautiful 30’s aesthetic lines the entirety of the train. Everything is going fairly smooth until the unthinkable has happened: A passenger has been killed. With only conflicting evidence and a train full of suspects, it’s a godsend that you happen to be the greatest detective in the world. “Murder on the Orient Express” creates a scenario that, even if it wasn’t a classic Agatha Christie novel, would make any fan of a good mystery excited. So with a decent chunk of the book under my belt, and a decent amount of expectation, I dove in to see if Kenneth Branagh could bring the adventures of the Belgian mustachioed detective justice in the modern era.
To start off with a positive, the star-studded ensemble is great all around. No one really stands out specifically but everyone fits their characters incredibly well. Even Kenneth Branagh’s performance as Hercule Poirot (which feels goofier and odder than Christie’s novel) works in the film due to Branagh’s dedication to the character, his mannerisms, his history, and even his accent. Also, the design and look of the film is phenomenal, fully embracing the 30’s look. It’s a beautiful looking film that never disappoints in the aesthetic department. However, that’s not the case with the writing.
In my opinion, a great mystery balances two elements: the subtle and the obvious. A good mystery needs to keep you invested, confusing you and making you second guess your own thoughts as to who is the killer/what is going on. You’re constantly dissecting each suspect, hoping to see a flaw in their alibi or in a twitch on their face. However, the film also needs to be open about clues and facts, giving the audience just enough to follow along and speculate. This can be hard to balance but when done right, you get a riveting mystery from start to finish. “Murder on the Orient Express,” unfortunately, fumbles the balance. While there are clues and facts spread throughout, the finale feels more like Poirot is lecturing the audience rather than the audience finding those last puzzle pieces with Poirot. When it comes to a mystery, it should NEVER feel that way.
It also doesn’t help that the flaws in the writing don’t stop there. The film seems to rush through some plot points but linger on others unnecessarily long, leading to uneven pacing. This is also a problem with the cinematography because despite some beautiful shots, the overall film makes some questionable choices in terms of the lengths and angles of certain scenes. This leads to a final product that isn’t a mess but just consistently confusing. And don’t even get me started on the score of the film. Nothing is more confusing than whimsical, upbeat tracks mixed into a film about someone getting killed on a train. When I can doze off for a few seconds between an important character scene and not miss anything, you know that’s a problem.
Despite my problems with the film though, I enjoyed my time with “Murder on the Orient Express.” It was definitely disappointing in places but I was satisfied enough to feel like I didn’t waste my money. The cast does a great job, it’s a beautiful looking film, and there are even some great directing choices from Branagh here and there. I can see where Branagh was going for the story. I just think he didn’t stick the landing. Despite a flawed execution, “Murder on the Orient Express” is the perfect film to see on a Sunday afternoon.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z68frP9Q7XA]