Review of Murder on the Orient Express (1974) by Johnny T — 08 Feb 2013

Much of the film truly does belong to Finney's Poirot -- and to his scenes with Martin Balsam and George Colouris --all of which are endlessly entertaining and fascinating. A classy colorful entertainment, the film offers some pleasures, prime among which is spotting the stars, all name actors playing small roles. The major fun in watching Sidney Lumet's glitzy version of Agatha Christie is spotting the stars and observing their accents and eccentricties. Only Finney goes to extra length here to play the finicky Poirot, though for some reason Bergman was singled out for an Academy Award. The real knockout performance comes from Finney, deservedly nominated for an eccentric turn that's unlike anything else he's ever attempted. What I liked best about this movie is its style, both the deliberately old-fashioned visual strategies used by director Sidney Lumet, and the cheerful overacting of the dozen or more suspects. There is hardly anything more I can tell you, or even hint, about the plot, except that nothing is as it seems (and you knew that already about a movie based on an Agatha Christie book).

VERDICT: "High-Quality Stuff" - [Positive Reaction] This is a rating to a movie I view as very entertaining and well made, and definitely worth paying the full price at a theatre to see or own on DVD. It is not perfect, but it is definitely excellent. (Films that are rated 3.5 or 4 stars).