'Murder on the Orient Express' is a murder mystery ride you won’t want to miss

There is an explanation to things, if only you look closely at the facts and pay careful attention to the details. That sums up Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 film adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express”, which is based on Agatha Christie’s timeless 1934 detective novel.

It sees fictional Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigating a killing inside a famous European train set in the 1930’s. It’s a film with a diverse cast of very talented actors and actresses that should capture the minds and hearts of Filipino viewers. We enjoy drama, after all, and have a lot of recent train experiences that can and will pique our interest in any train movie.  

Photo courtesy: IMDb

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Tapping into a well of Hollywood talent, Branagh enlists the services of veterans like Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, and Willem Dafoe. Adding new blood like Josh Gad and Daisy Ridley into the mix gives the film quite a unique cast of characters who are caught up in this murder mystery puzzle.

Playing the obsessive compulsive yet brilliant Poirot is Branagh himself, who gives his A-game and one solid performance in finding out who the killer is in the Orient Express and sparing no expense on the clues surrounding the mystery.

Thanks to a bizarre snow avalanche that blocks their three day train journey, Poirot interviews each and every one of the passengers aboard the train, and what finds out is one bizarre truth that will test his resolve as an investigator and believer of justice. It’s that kind of drama and setup that gives the film some emotional weight, and unlike its predecessors – Branagh’s take on Agatha Christie’s peculiar story is given an emotional weight that any viewer can relate to.

Someone was killed yes, but what led to that crime and what were the circumstances behind it? This is the mystery the film likes to delve into, and something Filipino viewers may very well find relatable given life’s unpredictability. — LA, GMA News

'Murder on the Orient Express' opens today in theaters nationwide courtesy of 20th Century Fox Philippines.