Jimmie Bise sums up my reaction pretty succinctly:
https://twitter.com/JimmieWrites/status/870291344148836352
Then again, this would be a weird production anyway. There’s not going to be that dramatic of a plot twist: the previous movies and book are sufficiently embedded in Western culture that you have to assume that your audience is likely to know how the story goes. In fact, if you look at the cast page, it’s pretty clear that Kenneth Branagh called up a bunch of his Hollywood and Branagh Theatre buddies and got ’em to do his version of Murder on the Orient Express just for the fun of it.
Which is, by the way, why I’m going to go see it, non-Poirot mustache or not. Branagh’s a good director and I enjoy watching excellent actors having fun with their roles. I have particularly high hopes for Judi Dench in this one, although Michelle Pfieffer is clearly going to be trying to channel her inner Lauren Bacall.
Comes out November 10th.
Holy cow, that’s a mustache. That mustache could practically act on its own.
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I might go see that. It’s really outside my usual taste, but I’ve somehow escaped detailed knowledge of the plot, and that looks like a hell of a cast.
I don’t see him needing to carefully melt mustache wax for that hairbrush on his lip!
have to agree about everything else, looks like a great cast. My only concern is that I so associate David Suchet with the role it will detract from my enjoyment of the film.
I always felt the 1974 movie was excellent EXCEPT for the Poirot portrayal by Albert Finney. Heck, I love Peter Ustinov but find it hard to think of him as anything but an alternative universe’s Poirot (6 foot + tall!)
that mustache!
They have to make a bunch of changes to accommodate the cast. Sean Connery’s character in the original (and in the novel) is an English Colonel who have served with Colonel Armstrong and was his best friend. In the remake, he’s now a black doctor, I presume the role of the best friend still works.
The music sucks- although it is pretty much unnoticeable until the title card.
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Ever notice that every period piece movie these days has to feature epic facial hair? Makes you feel like we are living in a much diminished age.
I actually didn’t find the music jarring. The building beat in the background did a good job of raising the tension level. Giving the song they’re using for that purpose a couple of identifiable lines in the title card is only fair.
And when they finally show the title, all I noticed was “M O E” spelled vertically on the left side…