Movie Review: Murder on the Orient Express
December 10, 2017 |
| GIF via Buzzfeed |
I didn't know much about Murder on the Orient Express until last month when I saw the trailer. I was actually going to watch it for Daisy Ridley (because I'm a geek like that and I love her), plus I love a movie with a good storyline. It wasn't until last night after seeing the film did I know more about the movie and the story behind it.
*Warning: from here on, this post might contain spoilers!
Just a little background, Murder on the Orient Express is a book by renowned author Agatha Christie, who was well-known for her crime and mystery-themed novels. The novel is set in 1934 and tells of the murder of a man on the luxury train with only 13 passengers as suspects. The protagonist of the story is super sleuth Hercule Poirot (played by Sir Kenneth Branagh, who also happens to be the director of the film - aka Gilderoy Lockhart from the Harry Potter franchise - I know right?!) and he is tasked to find out who the killer is.
So that's the plot of the film. I did a little research if it was based on a real life story and it apparently is! Christie based it on the infamous murder case of American aviator Charles Lindbergh's toddler son and heir. The case is said to be controversial up to today as the trails went cold. (Source) This was the inspiration Christie used in the novel. She was also said to be a frequent traveler on the Orient Express thus becoming familiar with its ins and outs - in her novel, the details of the train such as the location of the cabins and the locks on the doors were very precise. (Source) I honestly find that really creepy and cool at the same time! I was never much of a fan of the mystery genre (unless we're talking Nancy Drew here) but this might be on one of my favorites in the genre.
Before the 2017 film, there was already a previous adaption in 1974. But what made the 2017 version appealing to moviegoers is the all-star cast. Some people don't like the idea of too many award-winning actors in one film, but personally I thought it wasn't bad. Throughout the course of the film, neither one outshone the other. This is perhaps with the exception of Sir Kenneth Branagh, who really nailed the role of Poirot perfectly. I didn't even know it was him until I Googled it a few minutes before writing this post. He also directed the movie, by the way. What a legend.
Anyway, the cast was not even the most important factor in the film. For me, what stood out were two things: the writing and the cinematography. Personally, I have a lot of criteria for what makes a good movie, and this includes writing, cinematography, cast and soundtrack, among others. (I'll probably discuss this in another post!)
So going back, the cinematography first. I seriously love the tones of the movie. I could have sworn Wes Anderson had a hand in this somehow! You know the film's theme is dark but it somehow was able to be portrayed in light, mellow pastel tones. Then add to that the incredible scenery of mountains and oceans, wow. I especially loved the opening scenes in Jerusalem and in Turkey. First of all, it's rare to see a glimpse of places like those in the 1930s, because we've all been used to Western settings when it comes to the 1930s period. It's beautiful. Second of all, I'm a real sucker for period-set films. So naturally, I was in awe. The scenes involving the train's route through the mountains is amazing as well. I had myself saying, "I want to ride a train cross country too!"
Moving on, I really want to talk about the writing. As a [self-proclaimed wannabe] writer, I was in awe with the writing of this film. The dialogues were great - periodic and old-fashioned but still witty. They managed to not make it boring. It is a mystery film after all, so it does involve a lot of conversation. What really got my attention though was how the story played out from start to finish. At first you'd wonder, why on earth are they in the Middle East, doesn't this happen on a train? Then you see how it plays out and how the characters all come together eventually. And seriously, plot twist after plot twist after plot twist!!! At the beginning, I was like, "I bet it's Johnny Depp." then he dies. Then I was like "I think it's Daisy!" then it's not her. Then you think another character is a suspect, like Josh Gad's McQueen, but it's not him either despite the scenes misleading you to think it! Eventually I gave up and waited for the ultimate plot twist - they all killed him. It was a team effort. Oh my God. WHAT
Also, thumbs up to the marketing team - the trailers were just 1/4 of everything that happens in the movie. They did not give anything away, which was brilliant. Like I was honestly shocked when I found out Johnny Depp's character was the murdered man. I also want to point out another thing about the dialogues, particularly this line from the trailer - something that went like "a group of strangers together with nothing in common but the need to go somewhere". As it turns out, all of the 13 passengers have one thing in common - ties to the Armstrong family, the fictional version of the Lindbergh murder case.
At this point, I'm just going to recommend everyone to watch the movie before it runs out of the cinemas (especially with Star Wars coming out this week lol bye). Like I said, I'm not a huge fan of mystery-themed films (mostly because a lot of them are paranormal or gruesome) but this one is an exception. Highly recommended film for people who, like me, appreciate literature and history at its finest adaption.
♥, Murgaloo
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| The all-star cast of Murder on the Orient Express (2017) via Mirror UK |
Before the 2017 film, there was already a previous adaption in 1974. But what made the 2017 version appealing to moviegoers is the all-star cast. Some people don't like the idea of too many award-winning actors in one film, but personally I thought it wasn't bad. Throughout the course of the film, neither one outshone the other. This is perhaps with the exception of Sir Kenneth Branagh, who really nailed the role of Poirot perfectly. I didn't even know it was him until I Googled it a few minutes before writing this post. He also directed the movie, by the way. What a legend.
Anyway, the cast was not even the most important factor in the film. For me, what stood out were two things: the writing and the cinematography. Personally, I have a lot of criteria for what makes a good movie, and this includes writing, cinematography, cast and soundtrack, among others. (I'll probably discuss this in another post!)
So going back, the cinematography first. I seriously love the tones of the movie. I could have sworn Wes Anderson had a hand in this somehow! You know the film's theme is dark but it somehow was able to be portrayed in light, mellow pastel tones. Then add to that the incredible scenery of mountains and oceans, wow. I especially loved the opening scenes in Jerusalem and in Turkey. First of all, it's rare to see a glimpse of places like those in the 1930s, because we've all been used to Western settings when it comes to the 1930s period. It's beautiful. Second of all, I'm a real sucker for period-set films. So naturally, I was in awe. The scenes involving the train's route through the mountains is amazing as well. I had myself saying, "I want to ride a train cross country too!"
 |
| Screenshots from Murder on the Orient Express (2017) © 20th Century Fox |
Moving on, I really want to talk about the writing. As a [self-proclaimed wannabe] writer, I was in awe with the writing of this film. The dialogues were great - periodic and old-fashioned but still witty. They managed to not make it boring. It is a mystery film after all, so it does involve a lot of conversation. What really got my attention though was how the story played out from start to finish. At first you'd wonder, why on earth are they in the Middle East, doesn't this happen on a train? Then you see how it plays out and how the characters all come together eventually. And seriously, plot twist after plot twist after plot twist!!! At the beginning, I was like, "I bet it's Johnny Depp." then he dies. Then I was like "I think it's Daisy!" then it's not her. Then you think another character is a suspect, like Josh Gad's McQueen, but it's not him either despite the scenes misleading you to think it! Eventually I gave up and waited for the ultimate plot twist - they all killed him. It was a team effort. Oh my God. WHAT
Also, thumbs up to the marketing team - the trailers were just 1/4 of everything that happens in the movie. They did not give anything away, which was brilliant. Like I was honestly shocked when I found out Johnny Depp's character was the murdered man. I also want to point out another thing about the dialogues, particularly this line from the trailer - something that went like "a group of strangers together with nothing in common but the need to go somewhere". As it turns out, all of the 13 passengers have one thing in common - ties to the Armstrong family, the fictional version of the Lindbergh murder case.
At this point, I'm just going to recommend everyone to watch the movie before it runs out of the cinemas (especially with Star Wars coming out this week lol bye). Like I said, I'm not a huge fan of mystery-themed films (mostly because a lot of them are paranormal or gruesome) but this one is an exception. Highly recommended film for people who, like me, appreciate literature and history at its finest adaption.
♥, Murgaloo
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