Murder on The Orient Express

A bit before (1974) our heads were turned to outer space and the reign of the Force and the Arthurian culture of the Jedi, there was the first film version of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mysteries. It starred greats of the silver screen taking a trip through the Swiss Alps to get back to Paris. It was so luxurious I don’t think anyone who hadn’t read the book beforehand would have doubted this was the absolute ultimate in traveling through Europe. Certainly not the quickest way to get from Istanbul to Paris, like say, taking a dirigible, but then again, that would have been a whole different story.  This version had its good points and not so good.

Agatha Christie mysteries are like Chinese puzzle boxes that you have to take apart in just the right manner to get to the “who done it” answer hidden deep inside. This story is no exception, but for the fact that some of the characters have been, how shall I put it, modified to satisfy a “political correctness” that didn’t really exist during this time period.  Knowing that and trying to get past it, so it wasn't a distraction, was a bit difficult for me. 

Kenneth Branagh both directed and starred as the world’s greatest detective and I applaud his efforts in trying to fill the shoes of Albert Finney and Peter Ustinov, who both lent their own uniqueness to previous portrayals of Monsieur Poirot and the use of his “little gray cells”. Kenneth is sufficiently OCD,almost a bit more so than as written, but nicely done. The cast is comparable to the ’74 cast and the basics are and have to be identical to the book otherwise you’re messing with perfection and that’s a sure-fire recipe for failure. Overall, I feel it will be a front-runner for hair and makeup and set-design awards.

I’m going to be nitpicky about one thing that I truly missed from the first film, and that was the music that you hear when the train is on its way. It’s iconic and identifies this film just as John Williams or Hans Zimmer, or any of the great composers have done in countless other classic films. It adds a dimension of opulence that’s lacking here. The closing credits, however, are nicely wrapped up by an original song delivered by Michelle Pfeiffer and a glimmer of what’s to come. Rating: 3 stars (Professor Plum in the Observatory with a Candlestick, or was that Miss Scarlett in the Library with a Wrench?, so difficult to decide nowadays).

Star Wars Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

Sometimes it takes me a while to warm up to a movie, if at all, but not in this instance. I’ve been following the Star Wars story since its inception and I can truly say that this was one of the best in the series. No Ewoks, Jar-Jar Binks, Clones…just a girl named Rey, a boy named Finn, another girl named Rose, a pair of cosmically Force-driven twins, and another boy with a gi-frickin’normous chip on his shoulders out to take over the galaxy. Oh boo-hoo, my daddy and mommy didn’t save me from evil in time so I’ll just pick-up my marbles and pledge my loyalty to some freaky power mad bald dude who does nothing all day except sit in a huge, very uncomfortable looking chair and plays mind tricks with people who could possibly turn on him like a rabid dog. Be careful what you wish for. Anyhow, we’re back at the end of The Force Awakens and finally, after waiting decades, the answer to what, where, why, and who is finally revealed. The Force lives in all of us, it’s just a matter of how we use and promote it. I don’t like it when somebody gives me spoilers, so I won’t divulge anything except to say, if you’re worried about hearing dialogue, watch the unenhanced version of the film, i.e., no 3D/4D/IMAX with super surround sens-o-vision , I’ve been told it’s too distracting and loud. I was as happy as a clam at my first viewing (oh yes, I will be watching it again) and felt the same thrill the second Star Wars Episode VIII started rolling on the screen, as I did in 1977 with a New Hope. God-speed Carrie Fisher. You ruled in that galaxy long ago and far away. Rating: You need to ask? 4 stars, of course.

Gary the Dog ... Space Gary (uncredited)