Murder on the Orient Express
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Written by Michael Green
The review:
First off, two things: 1) I congratulate myself to have made it this far in life not knowing whodunnit, thus making for a fun film experience 2) What was up with all the swooping camera stuff?* I enjoyed the ensemble cast, and though I just lambasted his directing, Branagh was great as Hercule Poirot.** The film made the most of the tight quarters and clues revealed.
The verdict: Good
Cost: $1.43 via Redbox
Where watched: at home
Consider also watching:
- Knives Out
- Game Night
- The Lovebirds
- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
- The Nice Guys
- A Simple Favor
Further sentences:
*It looked gaudy and like the director was scared to deal with actual camera angles that would tell the story.
**I thought the mustache was very fun, but there was a lack of continuity in whether he wore his mustache guard while sleeping.
Questions:
- Who was your favorite suspect?
- How distracting was Johnny Depp for you?
Favorite IMDB trivia item:
Johnny Depp asked Sir Kenneth Branagh to apologize to Sir Derek Jacobi for him after filming their scene together. “Because I had to shout at him, I don’t want to shout at Derek Jacobi.”
Other reviews of Murder on the Orient Express:
- Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
- Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times
I always enjoy when Penélope Cruz plays a character who isn’t flashy.
The level of Johnny Depp in this film was just right!
I too had never read nor seen a movie so did not know, “who dun it”, and I’m in my seventies. I just sat back and enjoyed the cast, the story, and the movie.