The latest big-screen adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express” is much better than the critics would have you believe. The ensemble cast does not disappoint, gathering together the talents of Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Daisy Ridley, Lucy Boynton (the girl from “Sing Street”), and more! The artistry of the film is visually beautiful while the screenplay helps to enhance and flesh out Agatha Christie’s classic mindbender. I thought that the opening sequence was a clever way to introduce us to Poirot. Some of the train sequences felt like they were straight out of “Snowpiercer,” but how can you have a modern Hollywood film without a disaster sequence? Purists might dislike the rewriting of a few characters (making Cruz’s character Hispanic and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s character Cuban to match their ethnicities) but I welcomed the additional diversification of this group of strangers. The more distinguishing characteristics between the train passengers, the better once the twist is revealed. My main issue with the film is that, with so many great actors and interesting characters, there simply is not enough time to utilize them all. Branagh has had great success as both an actor and a director (earning Oscars in both categories throughout his career), and he thrives in both roles throughout this production. His multi-faceted interpretation of Poirot is Oscar-worthy and I hope that he will reprise this role in future films. Pfeiffer has out of vogue for many years but grabs the spotlight back as Caroline Hubbard. Had the film been better received, I believe that this performance could have revitalized her career. My favorite performance comes from Dafoe, who never ceases to amaze me with the number of roles that he can play in a memorable way.
The main complaint of critics is the film’s slow pace, but I found the pacing necessary to build suspense and reveal each new turn of the mystery in the proper timing. While the final 15 minutes give the impression of dragging on, it is actually a fault in the musical score that gives us this impression. The emotion and impressive delivery of dialogue in this finale is a worthy interpretation of Agatha Christie’s ending, but the lack of thematic variety in the music creates a disjointed feel. The theme plays throughout an important scene, then there is a brief transition in which the music pauses for a minute, then comes back in with the same material for the next scene. This pattern continues on for several scenes and makes it seem as if the ending drags on when all that is needed to create fluidity is a varying of the music. I don’t know if this is the fault of composer Patrick Doyle or editor Mick Audsley, but it seems like a reworking of the music toward the end could have easily created a better flow for the film. I suspect that the critics approached this film with the attitude that the classic 1974 adaptation of the novel was good enough and that another take on it is unnecessary. It is a shame because, with their approval, this film could’ve been an Oscar contender for its costuming, production design, and some of its actors. If the critics would have taken the time to view “Murder on the Orient Express” as a standalone film without comparison, they probably would have loved it as much as I did.
[Pictured: It would have been impossible to choose a more exciting cast]
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