Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:20 pm
Obviously based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. For those who have not read the book or seen the 1974 film, the plot of revolves around a murder of a man named Ratchett on the Orient Express Train while en route to London from Istanbul. The train is stopped by weather when the murder is discovered and passenger Detective Hercule Poirot must put the pieces together to find the murderer before the train and resume its travel and reach its next destination stop. I will not go into spoilers in case anyone is not familiar with the story. What I will say is that this version of the story deviates a little from the book, and it has been so long since I have seen the 1974 movie I will not compare the two movies.
What I liked; This is a period film and the nostalgic train and train ride is certainly a dream for those who long for some of the simple yet elegant form of travel. I found the dress, scenery and sets to be fabulous. Poirot's mustache is epic and he has a cool mustache shield that he sleeps in. The minor changes in how the story is told does not effect the ending. I also liked how Poirot is portrayed. Although he is obviously and intellectual man, I don't remember the book describing him as a person who has trouble calming his mind and I thought that almost autistic trait was fitting for the character; I can relate to the needing to keep the mind engaged and the need to tire out the mind to rest.
What I didn't like; There was more character development of the characters in the book obviously, but the various interviews of each player were rather condensed (for time obviously). The Dr and Col. Arbuthnot were combined as one person. This gave a little twist to the plot, but they made it work. However, I still think the interaction between the Dr and Poirot was missing a little as a result. All of this gave a little brevity to the characters and I believe led to the lack of character development and revelations to come.
This was not a bad movie. If you are not familiar with the story, you might be a little confused at the beginning as you learn the characters. If you have read the book, you might be a little disappointed with this version, but I don't think you will hate it. Just don't look at it from a purest standpoint. Overall it is not a bad movie.
What I liked; This is a period film and the nostalgic train and train ride is certainly a dream for those who long for some of the simple yet elegant form of travel. I found the dress, scenery and sets to be fabulous. Poirot's mustache is epic and he has a cool mustache shield that he sleeps in. The minor changes in how the story is told does not effect the ending. I also liked how Poirot is portrayed. Although he is obviously and intellectual man, I don't remember the book describing him as a person who has trouble calming his mind and I thought that almost autistic trait was fitting for the character; I can relate to the needing to keep the mind engaged and the need to tire out the mind to rest.
What I didn't like; There was more character development of the characters in the book obviously, but the various interviews of each player were rather condensed (for time obviously). The Dr and Col. Arbuthnot were combined as one person. This gave a little twist to the plot, but they made it work. However, I still think the interaction between the Dr and Poirot was missing a little as a result. All of this gave a little brevity to the characters and I believe led to the lack of character development and revelations to come.
This was not a bad movie. If you are not familiar with the story, you might be a little confused at the beginning as you learn the characters. If you have read the book, you might be a little disappointed with this version, but I don't think you will hate it. Just don't look at it from a purest standpoint. Overall it is not a bad movie.