‘Blu-ray or Bust’ - MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

‘Blu-ray or Bust’

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2016, R, 112 minutes, DREAMWORKS)

Kenneth Branagh wants you to know that he is a man of many talents.

Early in his film career, he was the go-to Shakespeare guy; he cemented this status with four on-screen portrayals, only one of which (OTHELLO) he did not direct himself.  That’s the other thing—Kenneth Branagh wants you to know that he is in charge, and that, while he is, thou shalt be entertained.  If you think about it, just about anything he directs has a Shakespearean overtone to it; from the noir-ish DEAD AGAIN to 2011’s first and best THOR, you get the feeling that everything he puts on screen is a wee bit… bourgeoisie.

And it is certainly not a feeling lost with MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.  Even on a train, Mr. Branagh captures that elitist groove—although the story itself is a tale of high society gone wicked.  The classic Agatha Christie tale centers on detective Hercule Poirot, who at the urging of an acquaintance, has hopped aboard the Orient Express.  Also on the train is Catwoman, a Jedi, Captain Jack Sparrow, Olaf, M, and the Green Goblin (not apologizing—that was a whole lot easier than listing every member of the ensemble cast) (and a lot more fun).  When one of the fellow passengers gets bumped off, Poirot steps in to solve the murder.

Rest assured, this locked-door-mystery is in good hands.  No one interprets source material better than a serious Shakespearean actor, and Mr. Branagh’s Poirot is a wonder to watch.  His brain is a curiosity, although if you notice some similarities to Benedict Cumberbatch’s “Sherlock”, don’t let it dissuade you from appreciating the intricacies of the Belgian character.  Poirot is friendlier, and his methods a bit more psychologically involved.  Everyone else, on the other hand, seems more like window dressing.  Each character (with the exceptions of Josh “Olaf” Gad’s Hector MacQueen and Leslie Odom Jr.’s Dr. Arbuthnot are all one-stroke facets of humanity.  I understand that character development in a movie with this much star-power is a lot to ask for, but the audience should be given the opportunity to care about more than one character.

MURDER is by no means a bad film; it is entertaining, will keep you guessing until the end (unless you’ve read the book, of course), and has moments of humor that are honest and quite amusing.  The special features are a must; besides the deleted scenes, there is a look into the Poirot character himself (not to mention that magnificent mustache) and a doc on the wonderful score by Patrick Doyle (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES).  Also included is a twenty-minute introspective concerning Christie and the effect her works had on people and society—from a writer’s standpoint (I write, therefor I AM), this is a fantastic addition to the accoutrements that accompany the film.

Up next for Branagh and Poirot will be Christie’s “Death on the Nile”.  While there have been no cast announcements besides that of Mr. Branagh, I’m sure we will see another eclectic set of actors; the interesting thing to see will be whether they are all given the same chance to shine.

Film Grade: B

Special Features: A

Blu-ray Necessary: Recommended