Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most scenic movies I have watched; beautiful snow-capped mountains, parts of the historical city of Jerusalem, lovely green trees dot various locations as the Orient Express chugs along, blowing its stack of smoke. And yet, murder takes place on the train—cold, calculated, pre-meditated murder. But who did it?
Based on the Agatha Christie novel, the all-star cast features Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, the famous French detective, in addition to Johnny Depp as gangster Edward Ratchett, and other notable actors such as Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame, Dame Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer and Penelope Cruz.
The death of a certain character seems to be based on revenge for the death of a child, and this plot is obviously based on the famous Charles Lindbergh baby kidnapping case. The mystery is not easily solved, and any one of the passengers could be a suspect. It’s nice to get back to a drama-mystery picture with so many today featuring super heroes and action-packed movies with explosions. This is a nice change of pace, although strong language and a very bloody scene prevent us from awarding the film our Dove Seal. For those who appreciate a good mystery, this one keeps you guessing. And one poignant scene features a woman that declares how she dislikes a racist comment as she pours her red wine into a glass of white wine to demonstrate how she likes people of all colors.