Review of Murder on the Orient Express (2017) by Raymond C — 19 Nov 2017

A four-star rating is an overreach for this film, a mildly flawed, mildly unfaithful adaptation of the novel. The conclusion is inevitable, if you're paying attention, even if you haven't read the book or haven't seen the 1974 film, and yet you don't want to hurry it along to get there. The film achieves a decent balance between lushness and subtilty, seriousness and fun. Some 21st century changes for the film, including the introduction of an interracial romance, are just off, and some other changes do not make the story better, just different. Some cast choices are better than others. Using more of the original dialogue would have helped. But Branagh moves the film along smoothly, in front of and behind the cameras. And it's good looking, from start to finish, from wide screen to minute detail. So it's a three star film, maybe three and a half, given an extra star just because it is what much of its competition is not these days: not inane.

One final comment: even a faux Aleppo would have been better than Jerusalem.