Title: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Format: Digital Download on 26th February and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on 5th March, from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penιlope Cruz, Daisy Ridley, Olivia Coleman and Judi Dench
Kenneth Branagh’s star studded adaptation of the internationally treasured Agatha Christie MysteryMURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Everyone has a past. Everyone has a secret. Everyone is a suspect.
The multi-talented Kenneth Branagh directs and leads an A-List cast, including Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penιlope Cruz, Daisy Ridley and Judi Denchin this stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mystery based on the best-selling novel by Agatha Christie - the world’s best-selling author.
There have been many versions ofAgatha Christie’s 1934 detective mystery about a bloody murder aboard the Orient Express that has been derailed by an avalanche, but this is the only version where the legendary Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot, is played by Britain’s own Kenneth Branagh - usually more interested in Shakespeare than Christie.
Poirot boards the Orient Express in Istanbul, heading for Calais, when his friend offers him a late berth in 1st class. He soon meets a number of other passengers - the White Russian Princess Dragomiroff (Judi Dench) and her maid Hildegarde Schmidt (Olivia Colman), German academic Gerhard Hardman (Wilem Defoe) and a troubled American widow Mrs Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer) and perhaps most importantly - a crooked American art dealer - Ratchett (Johnny Depp) the murder victim - who is soon found dead after being stabbed many times. Who is the blame for the murder? The clues are there if you look for them...
Branagh directs in a rather showy, unusual way with odd camera angles and unexpected choices. Likewise Johnny Depp is rather mannered in his performance. Daisy Ridley puts in a good, albeit minor, performance building on her breakout role in Star Wars - although it feels very unusual to even mention that film here in a review about Poirot. Likewise Dafoe only has a small but pivotal role. In fact perhaps it’s fair to say that each cast member only have fairly small roles, but that they are all in some way important to the overall story.
What Branagh has done brilliantly is recreate the world of the 1934, he said in interviews that he wanted the audience to smell the smoke of the Orient Express and I think he has accomplished this with aplomb. The film looks amazing, especially on Blu-ray and no doubt even crisper on 4KHD.
Viewers will enjoy trying to work out who has committed the grisly crime. It’s clear that everyone of the 13 major characters is a suspect for a certain reason and that they could all easily be the murderer. Clues, large and small are throughout the film. Play Poirot for yourself and try to figure out the mystery. Did I work out who the killer was? Well actually I did, but only because I kept shouting out "he’s the killer!", "she’s the murderer!"
With Over 90 Minutes of extras, including an alternate opening, deleted scenes and director commentary by Kenneth Branagh.
4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray BONUS FEATURES
Agatha Christie: An Intimate Portrait
Let’s Talk About Hercule Poirot
Unusual Suspects (Part One, Two and Three)
The Art of Murder
All Aboard: Filming Murder on the Orient Express
Music of Murder
Deleted Scenes (with and without Commentary by Kenneth Branagh and Michael Green)
Alternate Opening
Newsreel (Extended)
Breakfast
Hotel Check-In
Arasta Bazaar (Extended)
Train Montage
Departure
Poirot Bedtime Rituals (with two alternates)
Pierre Michel Interview
Luggage
Dreamscape
Audio commentary by Kenneth Branagh & Michael Green
Theatrical Trailers
Gallery
DVD BONUS FEATURES
Agatha Christie: An Intimate Portrait
Let’s Talk About Hercule Poirot
Music of Murder
Deleted Scenes (with and without Commentary by Kenneth Branagh and Michael Green)
Alternate Opening
Newsreel (Extended)
Breakfast
Hotel Check-In
Arasta Bazaar (Extended)
Train Montage
Departure
Poirot Bedtime Rituals (with two alternates)
Pierre Michel Interview
Luggage
Dreamscape
Audio commentary by Kenneth Branagh & Michael Green
Theatrical Trailers
Gallery
