I started reading the famous Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mysteries during a trip to Eastern Europe in 2005 and I haven't put them down since. I’ve read every story multiple times now, listened to the old Basil Rathbone audio plays seen every Holmes movie I could get my hands on. (Including, "The Great Mouse Detective", it counts!) My earliest experiences with Holmes were, believe it or not, via “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, which featured occasional episodes revolving around Holmes’ fictional universe in the holodeck.
I couldn’t sleep Monday night and was flipping channels when I accidentally ran into the brand-new Poirot movie at one in the morning. (Episode, movie? I’m not sure what the correct terminology is here since I’m new to Poirot on PBS.)
I couldn’t sleep Monday night and was flipping channels when I accidentally ran into the brand-new Poirot movie at one in the morning. (Episode, movie? I’m not sure what the correct terminology is here since I’m new to Poirot on PBS.)
Alan Cumming introduced the film and from the opening shot to the ending, I didn’t look away. No trips to the bathroom, no breaks for a glass of water. I was glued to the television, captivated for the first time in a good long while by TV. Ah, the power of public television.
I would recommend, “Murder on the Orient Express”, this new 2010 version to absolutely anyone. But if you love murder mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, or Poirot, then that’s just a happy bonus. But any film lover will be taken in by this thickly layered storyline that puts a focus on Poirot's personal beliefs in the wake of a challenging recently solved case and already on his way to another. The quality of the film alone is enough to captivate anyone, with each shot carrying subliminal layers of meaning through composition.
I would recommend, “Murder on the Orient Express”, this new 2010 version to absolutely anyone. But if you love murder mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, or Poirot, then that’s just a happy bonus. But any film lover will be taken in by this thickly layered storyline that puts a focus on Poirot's personal beliefs in the wake of a challenging recently solved case and already on his way to another. The quality of the film alone is enough to captivate anyone, with each shot carrying subliminal layers of meaning through composition.
The subtlety of this work was one of the best parts with the actors saying so much through expressions and nuances of performance, many times without even needing dialogue. There was an independent feel to it as well. Even though it is expensive in appearance, the indie feel comes through via the intimacy brought by BAFTA winning director Philip Martin and the dramatic and claustrophobic setting of a train.
Honestly, I would’ve paid to see a film of this caliber at the box office. The film is shot in rich color with a historical accuracy in the recreation of the train, props, and costumes that I can personally vouch for. You see, I traveled via old timey train from Romania to Bulgaria and I can tell you that the train set featured in, “Murder on the Orient Express” looked almost identical to the antique train that I rode, consequently also in the year 2005. (Apparently, that was the year I was meant to fall in love with literary murder mysteries.)
Aside from the beautiful visuals, the film has a quick pacing and paints a complicated portrait of Poirot, a unique character in the throes of a quiet personal crisis. Pair that with an open-ended final shot that lets viewers draw their own conclusions, and you’ve got a truly fascinating work of television entertainment unlike anything you would normally see. One that requires a viewer to participate instead of handing them all the answers on a silver platter. Again, much the way that a work of art, once finished, is open to interpretation.
The day after watching it, I called my father to discuss it, knowing he would have watched it since we’re both PBS geeks. When we got to talking about the ending, we had completely different interpretations of what it meant, which added a fun little bonus to the discussion of the film for us, each arguing our own perspectives.
David Suchet once again plays, “Poirot”, the justice-minded French detective, in what has become a long-running tradition for the actor. The other roles are expertly cast, including a fun appearance by the seldom seen Barbara Hershey and several noteworthy British actors.
Half the fun of a murder mystery is trying to stay ahead of the detective to see if you can solve the case first. I had never read, “Murder on the Orient Express”, thought I had a pretty good handle on the culprit, but was completely surprised by the ending. I’m sure it’s legendary to those who know and love Agatha Christie, and it must be one of the greatest answers ever written to that famous murder mystery question, “Who done it?”
Check regularly to see if you can watch it for free on PBS.com. It was available a few days ago but has since vanished. I'll cross my fingers that it goes back up, but also check your local listings to see if it's playing on your local PBS affiliate.
Honestly, I would’ve paid to see a film of this caliber at the box office. The film is shot in rich color with a historical accuracy in the recreation of the train, props, and costumes that I can personally vouch for. You see, I traveled via old timey train from Romania to Bulgaria and I can tell you that the train set featured in, “Murder on the Orient Express” looked almost identical to the antique train that I rode, consequently also in the year 2005. (Apparently, that was the year I was meant to fall in love with literary murder mysteries.)
Aside from the beautiful visuals, the film has a quick pacing and paints a complicated portrait of Poirot, a unique character in the throes of a quiet personal crisis. Pair that with an open-ended final shot that lets viewers draw their own conclusions, and you’ve got a truly fascinating work of television entertainment unlike anything you would normally see. One that requires a viewer to participate instead of handing them all the answers on a silver platter. Again, much the way that a work of art, once finished, is open to interpretation.
The day after watching it, I called my father to discuss it, knowing he would have watched it since we’re both PBS geeks. When we got to talking about the ending, we had completely different interpretations of what it meant, which added a fun little bonus to the discussion of the film for us, each arguing our own perspectives.
David Suchet once again plays, “Poirot”, the justice-minded French detective, in what has become a long-running tradition for the actor. The other roles are expertly cast, including a fun appearance by the seldom seen Barbara Hershey and several noteworthy British actors.
Half the fun of a murder mystery is trying to stay ahead of the detective to see if you can solve the case first. I had never read, “Murder on the Orient Express”, thought I had a pretty good handle on the culprit, but was completely surprised by the ending. I’m sure it’s legendary to those who know and love Agatha Christie, and it must be one of the greatest answers ever written to that famous murder mystery question, “Who done it?”
Check regularly to see if you can watch it for free on PBS.com. It was available a few days ago but has since vanished. I'll cross my fingers that it goes back up, but also check your local listings to see if it's playing on your local PBS affiliate.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I can say that though I’m forever loyal to my dear Holmes, I am now officially a fan of Poirot and look forward to checking out some Agatha Christie books. In the meantime, watch the latest version of her famous story for the artful direction, the glorious cinematography, the classic mystery, and you may find yourself completely obsessed with a new fella.
P.S. For a funny little bonus tidbit, notice that in the preview below, there are a few seconds worth of footage at a train station in which the green screen background has not been keyed out. Don't you just love catching those little details?
P.S. For a funny little bonus tidbit, notice that in the preview below, there are a few seconds worth of footage at a train station in which the green screen background has not been keyed out. Don't you just love catching those little details?
I guess it's just what you're exposed to. I grew up in a house full of Agatha Christie paperbacks so I had read most of them before ever seeing any filmed versions. And there are plenty of film versions. There is even a big Hollywood movie with Albert Finney as Poirot. I'll let you draw your own conclusions on that one.
ReplyDeleteDavid Suchet is an amazing actor, and in my opinion, the best Poirot, so there's tons of shows with him if you want to geek out. This particular movie is definitely above and beyond the usual TV adaptation. I just read on Wikipedia that he wants to film all of the Christie Poirots, so hopefully he'll reach his goal, because he keeps getting better and better.
If you want to read Christie, especially Poirot, she has some other amazing puzzles/solutions. Probably the most ingenious are And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile, Five Little Pigs, Murder in Mesopotamia. Poirot is her best creation, I think, but she also had Miss Marple - two famous detectives!
I just downloaded a new book about her notebooks, how she wrote her novels, but it's definitely only to be read after you've read or watched the stories - it gives away lots of endings.
I've always loved the Jeremy Brett Holmes series, but haven't read any of the original stories - guess I better get started.
Enjoy your new obsession.
I wish I could agree with your assessment of this latest version of "MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS". I really do. Unfortunately, I cannot. The 1974 version was not perfect, but it was still a first-class production. As for this latest version . . . it tried to be meaningful, complex, etc., but it failed to do some very unnecessary changes in the story and a great deal of hammy acting from David Suchet and the rest of the cast. I found myself wincing with distaste by the end of movie.
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