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| Image credit: Movie Web |
This is a movie that proves
that some classes of stories will never expire, but just age like cheese or
fine wine. Branagh’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic novel is coming 43
years after Sidney Lumet brought it to the big screen and it hasn’t aged a day!
What is it about the whodunit that keeps it so perfectly preserved?
Actually, it's no wonder when you look at the
many ways in which you can enjoy the story.
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| Image credit: Rottom Tomatoes |
Level number one –of course- is
the classic detective story, which Branagh re-imagines beautifully. For famous
detective Hercule Poirot (played by Branagh himself), a lavish train journey
turns into a hunt for a murderer when one of the passengers is killed and he
discovers that everyone on board has a motive. There are no new-fangled
experiments with this modern movie it’s purely a return to basics with all the
classic tricks of the genre working to create suspense, confusion, and
excitement. We’ve got plot misdirection, red herrings, double identities, and
the timeless race against the clock, all shot in a very sophisticated way
against this lavish background that makes you want to time travel.
That’s the second layer: the
authenticity and its voyeuristic impact. There is a breathtaking amount of
detail put into the authenticity of the set, costumes, and makeup design.
Despite being helplessly captivated by Branagh’s majestic facial hair, you can
spend a large portion of the film marveling at the lavishness of the train
itself as well as the gorgeous costumes of the characters. This attention to detail
amps up the voyeuristic clout of the story by making it physical, glamorous,
and enticing to a contemporary audience.
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| Image credit: IMDB |
The final layer is the turn of
events. After all this delicious suspense and events that have our minds racing
to find the answers, the ending –don’t worry I’m not going to spoil it- is both
shocking and beautiful. Depicted in a way akin to a Shakespearean tragedy, it
brings a different genre level into the mix and shows off Branagh’s penchant
for serious drama: remember that this guy brought us adaptations of Hamlet (1996), Henry V (1989), and Frankenstein
(1994): he obviously knows what he's doing!
Despite the poster screaming, “camp
murder mystery”, this film proves to be more than just another
thriller. Branagh’s sophisticated knowledge of the story’s appeal is a wonderful
insight into genre and it shows that there are stories out there that will
undoubtedly outlive us all!
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Leslie Odom Jr., Tom Bateman, Derek Jacobi, Sergei Polunin, Lucy Boynton, and Olivia Colmon
Rating: M
Year: 2017
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