Murder on the Orient Express

Based on the classic Agatha Christie novel of the same name, and following along the tracks of numerous televised adaptations, Murder on the Orient Express (2017) sees Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, arrive in the form of an impressive-moustache-wielding Kenneth Brannagh, who also directs. After boarding the legendary train for a break from his work, Poirot meets a colourful assortment of characters (equally-colourful is the train-hoggingly-enormous cast that plays them). But when an avalanche stops the train its tracks, the passengers wake to find that one among them has been murdered in their cabin. With “probably the greatest detective in the world” on board, so begins an investigation.

With the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp and Sir Derek Jacobi on board, it makes one wonder how there was any budget left for anything else (though the price tag of the huge cast alone is probably cheaper than travelling by rail in the UK). But the cinematography here is beautiful, and the landscapes too as the train swoops through the gorgeous snowy mountains between France and Switzerland. The cast is also on top-form, particularly Depp as the film’s (very temporary) villain – or at least that person you wouldn't want to sit next to. Brannagh is also delightfully-charismatic as a man whose moral fibre and values are the engine behind the film’s plot.

Great place to hide a murder weapon

Perhaps one of the more fascinating whodunits of recent years – more so of course for those with no prior knowledge as to how the murder mystery plays out – with a conclusion that’s shocking for reasons besides the revelation itself, Murder on the Orient Express (2017) manages to at least hold your curiosity before it runs out of steam. And while it’s arguable that the third act is something of an anti-climax, sometimes film is more about the journey than the destination.

For my full audio review which was aired on Swindon 105.5, click here.