In the world of fictional detection, the great spectacle is not the ease in which the great ones deduce, but the manner of character in which it is deployed. Poirot is one such character and Murder On The Orient Express is his classic voyage from Syria to Istanbul in which he is forced to deduce who murdered a fellow passenger. This is the second major film release since 1974, though it has been created for television on a few occasions as well. The classic tale is just one of many adventures of the fictional Poirot penned by Agatha Christie since the 1920’s. In 2017, the almost 100 year old titular train leaves the station, and with hardly a jostle or folly, you should find yourself pleasantly entertained by the company of characters on screen.

There is nothing that I take more pleasure in than colorful banter. Clever dialog is hard to write and just as hard to perform naturally. If there is one thing Murder On The Orient Express does right, it’s the strong performance from the cast as an ensemble. They effortlessly create that staged realism you feel when you see a live theatrical performance. Specifically, the linchpin of the show, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), is played with an immense amount of charisma and charm, carrying the entire show on his back. Every character is an extension of their interaction with him, because of this, their performances live and breathe to his reactions. Conversely, because of that, every character comes off a bit weak by comparison, still that is for the most part that is slight. The visuals are also very well done, by far the second biggest spectacle. While most of the film takes place on the Express, every character’s room feels somehow different.

Taking a critical look, it does have trouble keeping your attention at every turn. There are a few moments where you might find yourself a bit a head of the story, and not just because it’s one of the most well known stories in literary history. The story lingers on the individual interactions with Poirot for a bit longer than they need to, giving each actor a chance to share the spotlight. But I think most people would like to spend more time in the mind of Poirot. Hyper detection is what we are watching the show for, as unrealistic as that might be. This film also does nothing to try and redefine or inspire anything new for filmgoers, so if you were expecting an expansion or something new, you might be disappointed.

This is one of those rare murder mysteries that borders on the ridiculous without ever bothering the audience. It’s a classic for a reason. As aforementioned, this performance lives and dies on Poirot and to that end it was perfect. You can almost see yourself as the fly on the wall or maybe even an extra passenger on the train, totally uninvolved but soaking up every second of it. If this is your first time hearing the story or your 100th, this is a perfectly infectious version to enjoy. It doesn’t really offer anything but the bare bones, but its a great performance, and if you can get something this entertaining out of a solved 100-year-old mystery, you are doing something right.

~* 8/10 *~