Murder on the Orient Express

[sjankis630]

Well I am torn over this. I was looking forward to seeing this in the theater for the great production and cinematography. It delivered there. The problem was it bored me so much that I actually dozed off a couple of times.
Maybe the fact that I knew the story beforehand had something to do with that.
Can someone who stayed awake during the whole film comment with their opinion?
Should I rent this and give it another try?

[bluemuna]

This was my experience exactly. The only performance I found even remotely compelling was Kenneth Branagh. Everyone else was flat and boring. Except for maybe the train bellboy guy.

[Aurora B]

It was slow.

But the camera angles were interesting and clever. The shots from directly above the actors, with only the tops of their heads showing while they were inside compartments or aisles really gave the tight areas of the train context. Also the scene in the aisle outside the compartments where the secretary guy was talking to Poirot and another actor and kept "pacing" but had to weave around both of the other guys each time he went past. I also noticed the use of either mirrors or refracted glass for a lot of shots of the characters. I'm guessing it indicated dual identities or some other artsy spin.

Lots of funny bits with Poirot's quirks. That mustache was hilarious. But it should have had more reddish blond whiskers (like Branagh's eyebrows.) It looked too fake for his face, with just the dark and grey colors, but maybe that was the point.

I was not familiar with the story so I was sort of disappointed with how it played out in the end. I was frustrated that

SPOILER: Click to show

there was no definite wrap up of the case with one or two culprits.

With the driver meeting Poirot at the station with a case in Egypt, was that Branagh setting up the next chapter of Poirot's adventures?

[Atreides]

Nov 15, 2017 2:45:04 GMT -4 Aurora B said:

It was slow.

But the camera angles were interesting and clever. The shots from directly above the actors, with only the tops of their heads showing while they were inside compartments or aisles really gave the tight areas of the train context. Also the scene in the aisle outside the compartments where the secretary guy was talking to Poirot and another actor and kept "pacing" but had to weave around both of the other guys each time he went past. I also noticed the use of either mirrors or refracted glass for a lot of shots of the characters. I'm guessing it indicated dual identities or some other artsy spin.

Lots of funny bits with Poirot's quirks. That mustache was hilarious. But it should have had more reddish blond whiskers (like Branagh's eyebrows.) It looked too fake for his face, with just the dark and grey colors, but maybe that was the point.

I was not familiar with the story so I was sort of disappointed with how it played out in the end. I was frustrated that

SPOILER: Click to show

there was no definite wrap up of the case with one or two culprits.

With the driver meeting Poirot at the station with a case in Egypt, was that Branagh setting up the next chapter of Poirot's adventures?

I think I may have zonked out for a bit in the middle there as well. Did Poirot do a one-on-one interview with Judi Dench's character, Princess Dragomiroff?

I kept thinking of Scandal when they did the refracted glass shots, since that show does it for every damn episode.

A bit slow, but the movie really did have amazing production design.

Yes, the mention of Egypt does infer to one of Agatha Christie's more famous Poirot novels, Death on the Nile.

[Aurora B]

Nov 15, 2017 14:53:35 GMT -4 Atreides said:

I think I may have zonked out for a bit in the middle there as well. Did Poirot do a one-on-one interview with Judi Dench's character, Princess Dragomiroff?

I think he only interviewed her with Olivia Colman's character sitting beside her. He also interviewed OC's character, but in German so the character had the opportunity to answer truthfully since the Princess didn't speak German.

[forever1267]

It was very nice, but it lacked everything that the 1970's version had. If you can find that, please do. And for Mystery sake, do NOT spoil yourself!!!!

This version tried too hard to expand the area by getting out of the claustrophobic train, and told the clues rather than show them. The Best in Show for me, was of all people, Josh Gad, but only because he was given just a little more to do.

But the production design was good (although too much CGI for the location shots), and everyone seems to be having a good time. It just lacked a point, compared to the 1970's version and, so I hear, the BBC version with David Suchet. I have not seen that but Internet People seem to saying his version should be the Definitive Hercule Poirot.

I do hope they make more, and Branagh realizes his errors in this one.

[Auroranorth]

Johnny Depp being in it ended any interest in seeing this. Also, David Suchet is Poirot. End of discussion.

[gremlin45]

Nov 15, 2017 23:37:39 GMT -4 forever1267 said:

It was very nice, but it lacked everything that the 1970's version had. If you can find that, please do. And for Mystery sake, do NOT spoil yourself!!!!

The 1970s version is available to watch (rent or buy) on Amazon video UK and US. I love that version.

I'll watch this once it's available but it'd have to be amazing to become my favourite version.

[trifle]

I also fell asleep on this one. I've read the book and seen the Finney and Suchet versions. Frankly, I thought it was terrible. Poirot is already the center of the story, but Branagh had to give himself lots of extra lines and other bits of business to keep the focus on himself. What an egomaniac! I saw it with relatives unfamiliar with the story, and they were confused by all the poorly sketched characters.

[Smilla]

We saw it last night and though it wasn't exceptional, I still liked it. Except the mustache. Oh, the mustache.