Murder on the Orient Express
Hercule Poirot (director Kenneth Branagh) investigates a murder on the snowbound train of the title. Branagh and writer Michael Green (adapting Agatha Christie’s novel) offer a passable remake of Sidney Lumet’s 1974 classic, suffering only by comparison to the original. It’s the difference between stylish (1974) and mannered (2017), elegant (1974) and ostentatious (2017). The original’s all-star cast (Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, etc.) is replaced by one of slightly lower wattage (Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, etc.) but still respectable. Branagh lards Haris Zambarloukos’ cinematography with gratuitous CGI until it looks like Murder on the Polar Express. J.L.
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