Review Summary: Worth the ride, but with an ending that is equal parts mind-boggling and unsatisfying.
There are quite a few things to say about Kenneth Branagh. He's a director that is underappreciated. I really have enjoyed his work, as he continuously implements an old-fashioned sense of filmmaking. From the storytelling, to the characters' personas and the production values that feel like classic Hollywood.
That being said, at times, Murder on the Orient Express showcases Branagh at his finest. It is in this movie also that he takes center stage as our main character, Detective Hercule Poirot. It's an impressive balancing act that results in one of the film's finest performances (despite some difficult-to-understand moments of dialogue). Branagh makes Poirot engaging and memorable (along with a few moments of whimsy), thanks to his terrific mustache and straight to the point mentality. An introductory scene involving him wrapping up a case may seem inconsequential to the plot, but very important in introducing who he is and how he ticks.
It is clear that Branagh assembled quite a cast for this production. But, with any ensemble piece, at least a couple of characters are bound to be underserved. In her first movie outside the Star Wars universe, Daisy Ridley is given very little to do here. The legendary Judi Dench is always good, but she too isn't given much. Willem Dafoe has surprising versatility in one interesting twist, but he also is on the lackluster side in terms of screentime.
As far as the best of the bunch, that, hands down, is Michelle Pfeiffer. She is such an interesting character here that brings extra intrigue and dramatic flair (she's also given a haunting, interesting song in the end credits). Josh Gad is another stand-out. He's given a few extra confrontation scenes (awkwardly more than some of the characters) that allows him to be more emotionally-convincing. Given a lot of attention at the beginning, Johnny Depp proves to be exceptionally conniving and interesting as Mr. Ratchett.
This is also a fine-looking production. The train itself is worth awards recognition. The set design is very inviting, and the way cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos moves the camera around the train makes the overall ride feel surprisingly unconfined. Costumes and make-up/hairstyling are all also outstanding, with likely awards season recognition coming. There are some great visual effects, but they thankfully don't overwhelm the story. The story moves at a swift pace that keeps the audience interested and invested.
Murder on the Orient Express' final confrontation scene is perhaps one of the best scenes I've seen in a movie this year. With all of the suspects sitting at a table, Poirot comes to one of the most impossible conclusions he's ever come to. It's a brilliant sequence that glues you to the screen. But it also leads to an ending and solution that is very complicated.
The lead-up to the twist ending itself is very well-executed. And the film does end in a way that is hard to see coming (for the most part). But, how the case ends up leaves quite a bit to be desired, unfortunately. Instead of any real sense of closure for the case, the overall morality of the film's murder leans toward ambiguity.
In this sense, we learn that the motivation behind the murder itself was an act of vengeance, or revenge on something perceived to be far worse. Now, the film doesn't really glorify murder or revenge here. What happens on the train really doesn't lead to good things for anyone in the movie, and there's a subtle emphasis that all choices come with a price. But, at the same time, compassion and understanding seem to push true justice to the backseat somewhat. That being said, it's this lack of real consequences for the murder that make the ending of this mystery underwhelming.
Ultimately, however, I don't think this Orient Express will wind up a classic by any means, nor do I think it to be Branagh's best work. But the movie is still, nonetheless, a classical tour-de-force. A slickly-directed mystery movie that succeeds wildly in keeping its' audience in suspense and holding their breath up until its' fantastic final confrontation. It also boasts a very entertaining lead character I definitely would like to see again.
Score: 7.9/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Murder on the Orient Express is rated PG-13 for "violence and thematic elements". For a PG-13 movie, its' fairly tame, but I would advise parental caution for ages 10 and under. There are only a few moments of somewhat intense violence. We see an image of a bloodied body from stab wounds. Someone is shot slightly in the arm (we hear the gunshot and see a little blood), while someone nearly commits suicide with a gun as well. Someone is stabbed in the back (the action itself occurs off-screen, we see only the top of the knife from the front and then it's removed with a little blood seen). A train is tipped over from a mild avalanche. A brief fistfight in the main lobby. One character is shown to be a little aggressive. We hear about a child who was brutally murdered. We see a flashback of the murder itself, with only the action of the murderer plunging the knife seen (the action of the knife hitting the body is off-screen).
There's also alcohol seen (but no drunkenness), and one character relies on a medicinal drug to help her "face the day" because she "fears everything". The murder victim is implied to be sedated or put to sleep by a barbiturate. Someone is labeled a "prostitute" (though we don't hear anything about her actions), and someone says, "I know what it's like to have a man in my bedroom." Some mild (considering the PG-13 rating) language includes five uses each of "h---" and "d---", two of "G-d---" and three of "oh g--".
