Rating of
3/4
Stylish remake of the classic mystery film.
Indyfreak - wrote on 11/10/17
Kenneth Branagh directs and stars as the famous detective Hercule Poirot. It's a beautifully filmed and lavish looking movie. The costume design and scenery is a feast for the eyes.
To sum up the plot without spoilers, the script is similar to the 1974 adaptation with a few tweaks here and there. Its faithfulness makes it adequate but it's not as fresh as the original movie. I did appreciate the odd chase scene that occurred and some effective visual changes.
The ensemble cast is mostly good. Some people are shortchanged due to simply there being such a big cast in the first place. It's pleasant to see Johnny Depp play an actual human and Branagh is a good Poirot.
The script does play with the sexism and racial attitudes generally ignored by Agatha Christie adaptations of the 1930s which becomes a part of the mystery. The film is a solid effort but it seems constricted by its adherence the book and the '74 movie despite playing fast and loose with other elements.
