MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS - Movie Review

Title: Murder on the Orient Express
Running Time: 114 min
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writer: Michael Green
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer, Willem Dafoe, Penélope Cruz, Derek Jacobi, Olivia Colman

Review:
After Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had retired his famous Sherlock Holmes novels, there was another writer to seize the mantel and please the public with murder mysteries and detective stories. Agatha Christie's classic whodunits have inspired film makers multiple times before. This time, Shakesperean director and Gilderoy Lockhart himself, Kenneth Branagh has taken it upon himself to bring one of her novels to the big screen. And while the same story had already been adapted in 1974, it looks like Branagh spiced up his version with 21st century visuals.
"Murder on the Orient Express" is a solid piece of film making, that might not quite live up to its full potential, but will entertain you nonetheless. Branagh is a master in self-staging. His arrogant and slightly quirky Hercule Poirot takes the spotlight, while the rest of the stellar cast takes a back seat. It makes sense of course, because in murder mysteries it is typical that the suspects are merely chess peaces to serve the story. And having almost every character being played by a renowned actor prevents a premature casting-based solving of the mystery. But if you were expecting an ensemble acting tour de force, you will not find it here. Branagh's One-Man-Show however is so enjoyable that it makes up for that. Every time he directs himself, he takes the opportunity to pick out the role he really wants to play. Thus, he puts a lot of heart and enthusiasm in his performances, that perfectly translates to the screen. It's an absolute blast to see him act.
His directing is similarly joyful. Next to his trademark Dutch tilt, he uses some other lesser used camera angles every now and again. Things like the God's view shot and the POV shot combined with long takes add to the mysterious atmosphere of the film. Furthermore, this film simply looks great. The colors are vibrant; the contrasts are strong; the sets, costumes and props look cool; and of course Branagh's moustache is magnificent. The whole movie is visually slick.
But while the film doesn't have any problem in that area, it is the script that misses some opportunities to have a greater impact. The film's emotional punchline is that Poirot's believe system is challenged to an extent that he struggles to hold on to it. However, the set up of this believe system isn't strong enough. Poirot mentions it ones or twice in the first third of the film, but it isn't really reinforced. Even when it starts to crumble, the film doesn't take its time to show Poirot in solitude, doubting himself and the values that he stands for. He's constantly busy solving the case. It is only in the finale that he pours his heart out. And though Branagh's acting is terrific in that moment, it would have been more effective if we saw more cracks in his faҫade before it breaks.

Secondly, the film does not give the viewer the complete satisfaction of piecing things together themselves, even retrospectively. Poirot jumps to a lot of conclusions off-screen and so the audience is often presented with the solution without knowing how exactly we got there. The story also focuses on motive rather than the exact details and the timeline of the crime and so the events are not entirely reconstructable for the viewer either. 

In general however, this is a perfectly enjoyable film. If you have the spare time and money, watch it in the theater to enjoy its visual style. Otherwise, you can easily pop it in on a DVD night with some friends, preferably on a big TV.  Rewatchable for Branagh's performance alone and certainly arousing interest for possible sequels, this solid murder mystery is definitely good fun. 

For Fans Of:
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)

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THOR: RAGNAROK - Movie Review

 Title: Thor: Ragnarok
Running Time: 130 min
Director: Taika Waititi
Writer: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins,

Review:

Although Marvel has never released a truly terrible movie, there have been some missfires in the past. "Thor: The Dark World" was one of them. In fact, with the exception of Captain America, none of the other Marvel solo movies have managed to equal the critical success of their first installment. But with Kiwi director Taika Waititi at the helm and the addition of The Hulk, the trailer for the Norse god's third outing looked promising. So can this sequel deliver?
Yes and no. "Thor: Ragnarok" is a fun and flashy blockbuster that will entertain you for its entire two hour run time. Not more and not less. Taika Waititi surely steered the ship in a new direction. This Thor is much more comedic and much more colorful than its predecessors. Visually, this movie is closer to the "Guardians of the Galaxy" than to previous films about the god of thunder. And yet it makes sense. Asgard still looks like the fantasy realm we came to know. When Thor accidentally strands on the garbage planet Sakaar however, he has obviously landed in that weird edge region of the galaxy, where Peter Quill and his gang easily could go about their business. But Waititi doesn't rest on the shoulders of what James Gunn already created. Instead he lets out his own unbridled creativity and gives us some awesome set pieces that suck you into this crazy, iridescent world. Despite all the flashiness, Waititi manages to shoot the action sequences in a way that they don't feel agitated, but you can fully enjoy their grand scale. He also seemed to have created a positive atmosphere on set, as all the actors seem to be enjoying themselves. Tessa Thompson is a great new addition as this bad-ass warrior, although her introduction entails that the film completely ignores the existence of Jaimie Alexander's Lady Sif (Is a movie only allowed to have one heroine?). Also, Jeff Goldblum shines as a character that is basically a heighten space-version of himself. The real scene-stealer, however, is Mark Ruffalo. His gentle performance of both, The Hulk and Bruce Banner, elevates the material and it is the scenes when he is on screen that are the movie's best.
As I mentioned before, the humor was also an element that was really amped up in this movie. Unfortunately, this is where it runs into its biggest problem. Although the larger amount of the jokes do work, the immensely unserious tone of the film robs it of carrying any emotional weight. Everything becomes a knee-slapper. Yes, Thor is funnier than ever, but he has also never been so indifferent. The betrayal, the lies and even the deaths of the people around him, seem to effect him not one bit. He keeps his cool no matter what. As if abnegation and minimisation replaced all of his healthy coping mechanisms. When your main character constantly goofs around like that, it's hard to really feel the threat of pending doom that the movie presents. For a film about the complete annihilation of our hero's home, the stakes feel astonishingly low. But not only Thor has become a sitcom-version of himself. Loki, who was first introduced as a maliciously scheming, complex and intelligent villain, has become a walking punchline. The ease with which he can be overpowered is Marvel's latest running gag. He is a character deprived of real personal growth, doomed to run in circles. Inevitably, the two brother's relationship changed as well. Once a tragedy of Shakespearean caliber, it has now transformed into a "Dumb-and-Dumber"-esque routine. Even the resolution of Bruce Banner's personal struggle is played as a joke in the film's finale. "Sharknado 5" had more emotional moments than this (I'm not even kidding).
The other problems with the film (what exactly was Karl Urban's purpose in this movie?) are forgivable, but when everyone becomes the comic relief, there is no tension left to be relieved from.
It is a shame, really, because within the story of "Thor: Ragnarok" lies great dramatic potential and even the possibility to make a statement about postcolonialism (a thanks to B.A. for pointing that out). But it all gets lost in the laughs. The cool new characters and the zany visuals can't help over the fact that this is ultimately a frothy live action cartoon. Artistically great, yet emotionally empty, this film is good for a DVD night with friends in order to have some fun or catch up with the cinematic universe. If you've never had a problem with Marvel's joke quantity or even enjoyed it, you might even love this film. But if, like me, you need at least a little bit of pathos in your superhero movies, this film might disappoint you.

For Fans Of:
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (2017)
2 Fast 2 Furious (2005)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Suicide Squad (2016)

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