Review of Murder on the Orient Express (1974) by Liz G — 08 May 2016

Sidney Lumet's magnificent whodunit is a elegant and lavish production which is based upon Agatha Christie's best selling novel. An unrecognizable Albert Finney delivers a sensationally compelling performance that earned him a richly deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, playing the brilliant and dapper Belgian detective Hercule Poirot who on board the famous Orient Express that is traveling from Istanbul to Calais and is now snowbound.

During this period one of the passengers is mysteriously murdered, and Poirot agrees to investigate hoping to find the killer before the police reach the snowbound train. Soon it will turn out that everybody has something to hide including the victim himself.

The late great Lumet's exceptional direction draws superlative performances from the large international cast which includes Lauren Becall, Sir Sean Connery, Martin Balsam, Vanessa Redgrave, Jacqueline Bisset, Richard Widmark, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Sir John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Rachel Roberts, Michael York, and Ingrid Bergman in a standout Oscar winning performance as a dim-witted, bible quoting Swedish missionary.

A visually stunning film thanks to the late Geoffrey Unsworth remarkable cinematography, and a majestic Oscar nominated musical score by the late Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, with beautiful Oscar nominated period costume design, and a flawless production design by Tony Walton.

An Incomparable cinematic classic which is also an engrossing motion picture that was nominated for 6 Academy Awards nominations including Best Actor: Albert Finney. Highly Recommended.