Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express
has been on my watchlist ever since the first poster was released. It’s hard to
ignore a huge assembly of such talented cast, but it seems like the film did
just that. While everyone gave an impressive performance, the actors lacked
chemistry together, which led to the movie feeling disconnected. In effort to
focus on the Detective Poirot “Branagh” the other characters are left barley one
dimensional, to the point where I even forgot their names. As someone who hasn’t
seen or read any of the previous adaptions before, the plot was a complete a
mystery to me. I found myself getting bored, even though I usually enjoy
slow-paced films. The details and events could’ve been more fleshed out,
especially considering the pacing. It could have been intentional because the captivating
details you must pay close attention to kept me intrigued. One of the film’s
best aspects is the cinematography and excellent use of the stunning scenery.
The piecing together of the plot in the final act was easier to follow than the
plot itself. The final reveal, although shocking, is not an enough payoff to Its
sluggish pace, and to an audience who are familiar with the plot beforehand, it
must have felt even more disappointing. It’s not a bad enough movie to make me
feel like I wasted my time, but it’s also not good enough for me to enjoy. It
left me feeling nothing. Overall, Murder on the Orient Express is not for
everybody.
