They Filmed The Book-Murder on the Orient Express

The classic by Agatha Christie featuring detective Hercule Poirot is a novel that has been read by countless folks over the years and is a unique “who-done-it” novel with a bit of a surprise ending.  While the book was one I really enjoyed, I’m typically more critical of movies as I do tend to be one of those “the book was better” people. Apologies.

However, I think this movie stayed pretty true to the novel in a way that made it exciting but also brought the book’s pages to the screen.  I find it difficult to decide how I feel about such situations. For one, I like when a movie doesn’t change the book very much, I love that it’s holding true to the source material.  But I also have to think “why did they make the movie” when it’s almost identical to the book.

I suppose, in some way I can’t understand, some people just don’t like reading!  So, in such cases, movies like Murder on the Orient Express are a great way for people to see a story that has been in the minds of so many readers.  Also, it gives us a chance to see characters and a story we love on a massive scale.

For this movie, while it didn’t break any records, I think it did a great job of mixing the original story in the novel with a few tweaks to make the story more exciting and dangerous, and I really liked this version of the world-famous detective Poirot.  He was given a lot of his original characteristics, classy, cunning, and brilliant, and we also got to see in brief ways, that he is a man of action and courage as well.

Fans of the book will enjoy this movie, I think, and those who may like an old-school mystery in a close-quartered setting will enjoy following the story and trying to figure out the villain.