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First trailer arrives for Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile

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August 20, 2020

It’s one of the only films this year to keep its original theatrical premiere month, and it’s still planning on coming to a theater near you. And it’s one of the most eagerly awaited sequels of the year after director and star Kenneth Branagh delivered such an impressive adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express in 2017. A new all-star cast has assembled behind Branagh, returning as master detective Hercule Poirot, in Death on the Nile. Despite her many convoluted plots, Christie knew how to name a story. Get ready for some more good sleuthing–The first trailer for the film is here.

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All the movies you’ll want to see in 2020

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December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas!

It’s that time of year again, time to take a look forward at what movies should be on your radar for 2020. Are you going to see them all? Heck no. These are the genre films we think borg readers will want to know about to make their own checklists for the coming year–and they are only the films we know about so far. We pulled 85 of the hundreds of films that have been finalized or are in varying stages of final production, slated for next year’s movie calendar.

What looks to top the list for most fanboys and fangirls? Ghostbusters: Afterlife! Scarlett Johannson solo in Black Widow! A new James Bond movie, No Time to Die. Vin Diesel in Bloodshot and a new Fast & Furious. The original Tom Clancy novel series is finally continuing with an adaptation of Without Remorse. Comic book adaptations are in less supply in 2020, but look for Venom 2, Wonder Woman 1984, Eternals, The New Mutants, Morbius, Birds of Prey, The Old Guard, and did we mention Black Widow? Compare the below list to our 2019 list and even the 2018 list, 2017 list, 2016 list, 2015 list, or 2014 list, and your takeaway may be seeing the studios moving genre content from the big screen to the small screen via streaming services.

Do you like sequels? There are far less coming to theaters in 2020 than in 2019, but many more remakes of movies, books, and TV shows are on the way. In fact, with all the blockbusters in 2019, 2020 looks pretty tame as the cinema marquee is concerned. Some films don’t have locked in release dates yet: Amazon Studios and Netflix haven’t revealed dates for the following 2020 releases (those we know you’ll find on the calendar below):

7500, a film about a highjacked airplane, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Amazon Studios)
The Dig, a film about a woman finding archaeological treasures on her land, starring Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, and Carey Mulligan (Netflix)
Horse Girl, Alison Brie stars and directs this story about an awkward girl who fuses her dreams with reality (Netflix)
Jingle Jangle, an animated Christmas story with the voices of Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, and Hugh Bonneville (Netflix)
Louis Wain, biopic of the 19th century artist starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, and Andrea Riseborough (Amazon Studios)
The Old Guard, adaptation of comic book story, starring Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Netflix)
Radioactive, a film about Marie Curie, starring Rosamund Pike and Anya Taylor-Joy (Amazon)
Rebecca, adaptation and remake of the Daphne Du Maurier classic novel, starring Lily James, Keely Hawes, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Armie Hammer (Netflix)
Welcome to Sudden Death, sequel to Jean-Claude van Damme 1995 movie starring Michael Jai White (Netflix)
The Willoughbys, animated adaptation of the Lois Lowry book, with voices of Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, and Jane Krakowski (Netflix)
Wonderland, murder conspiracy mystery starring Mark Wahlberg, Allan Arkin, and Colleen Camp (Netflix)

Some of these films will have revised release dates, or get pushed to 2021.

So grab your calendar and start making your plans–here are the movies you’ll want to see in 2020 (and some you might not!):

January

The Informer – Thriller, starring Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Ana de Armas, Common, and Clive Owen – January 10.

Underwater – Thriller, stars Kristin Stewart in underwater horror story – January 10.

Dolittle – Family/Comedy, stars Robert Downey, Jr. in remake of the classic, with voices of Tom Holland, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Emma Thompson, Antonio Banderas, Ralph Fiennes, and Michael Sheen – January 17.

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Tags: 2020 movies, 7500, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Adria Arjona, Alex Winter, Alexander Ludwig, Ali Fazal, Alice Krige, Alicia Silverstone, Alison Brie, All the movies, Allan Arkin, Amanda Seyfried, Amazon 2020 movies, Amazon Studios, Amy Adams, Ana de Armas, Andrea Riseborough, Andrew Koji, Angelina Jolie, Anna Kendrick, Anne Dagg, Anne Hathaway, Annette Bening, Antebellum, Anthony Michael Hall, Antoine Fuqua, Antonio Banderas, Anya Taylor-Joy, Armie Hammer, Arsenio Hall, Artemis Fowl, Awkwafina, Úrsula Corberó, Bad Boys for Life, Ben Affleck, Ben Whishaw, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benh Zeitlin, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Bill Murray, Bill Nighy, BIOS, Birds of Prey, Black Widow, Blake Lively, Bloodshot, Bloodshot movie, Bob's Burgers: The Movie, Brian Tyree Henry, C.S. Forester, Carey Mulligan, Cassie Steele, Charles Dance, Charlie Heaton, Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Christopher Plummer, Cillian Murphy, Claire Foy, Clancy Brown, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Clive Owen, Cloris Leachman, Colin Farrell, Colin Firth, Colleen Camp, Common, Dan Aykroyd, Danai Gurira, Daniel Brühl, Daniel Craig, Daniel Mays, Dann Mintz, Danny DeVito, Darby Camp, Dave Bautista, David Harbour, Dawn French, Death on the Nile, Deep Water, Denis Villeneuve, Dev Patel, Diana Rigg, Disney, Dixie Egerickx, Djimon Hounsou, Dolittle, Donnie Yen, Downhill, Dune movie 2020, Dwayne Johnson, Dylan O'Brien, Ed Harris, Eddie Murphy and James Earl Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Edgar Wright, Eiza González, Elizabeth Debicki, Emily Blunt, Emma, Emma Mackey, Emma Thompson, Ernie Hudson, Eternals movie, Eugene Merman, Ewan McGregor, Fantasy Island, Fast & Furious 9, Finn Wolfhard, Florence Pugh, Forest Whitaker, Frances Hogson Burnett, Frank Langella, Free Guy, G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes, Gal Gadot, Gary Oldman, Gemma Arterton, Gemma Chan, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Godzilla vs. Kong, Gretel & Hansel, Greyhound movie, Halloween Kills, Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Henry Golding, Hong Chau, Horatio Sanz, Horse Girl, Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Hugh Laurie, Iko Uwais, Infinite movie, J.K. Simmons, James Corden, James Marsden, Jamie Foxx, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Austin's Emma, Jane Krakowski, Janelle Monae, Jared Harris, Jared Leto, Jason Isaacs, Jason Momoa, Jason Scott Lee, Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Saunders, Jessica De Gouw, Jessica Henwick, Jet Li, Jim Carrey, Jim Gaffigan, Jingle Jangle, Joe Keery, Joel Kinnaman, John Amos, John Cleese, John Krasinski, John Roberts, Jon Benjamin, Jon Bernthal, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin, Josh Gad, Jude Law, Judi Dench, Judy Greer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julie Walters, Jungle Cruise, Karen Gillan, Keegan-Michael Key, Keely Hawes, Kelly Marie Tran, Ken Jeong, Kenan Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, King Richard movie 2020, Kristen Schaal, Kristin Scott Thomas, Kristin Stewart, Kyle Chandler, Kyle Richards, Larry Murphy, Last Night in Soho, Letitia Wright, Li Gong, Lily James, Lois Lowry, Louie Anderson, Louis Wain, Maggie Q, Maisie Williams, Manuel Garcia-Rolfo, Margot Robbie movie, Marie Curie, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Lawrence, Martin Short, Marvel, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Matt Smith, Matthew McConaughey, Maya Rudolph, Mckenna Grace, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Caine, Michael Jai White, Michael Keaton, Michael Peña, Michael Rooker, Michael Sheen, Michelle Williams, Milla Jovovich, Millie Bobby Brown, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Miranda Otto, Monster Hunter, Monster Problems, Morbius, Movies in theaters 2020, Mulan, Netflix, Netflix 2020 movies, Nicholas Cage, No Time to Die, Octavia Spencer, Onward movie, Oscar Isaac, Paramount Studios, Patrick Wilson, Paul Rudd, Paul W.S. Anderson, Pedro Pascal, Peter Capaldi, Peter Dinklage, Pixar, Promising Young Woman, Rachel Weisz, Radioactive, Ralph Fiennes, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rami Malek, Ray Liotta, Raya and the Last Dragon, Rebecca, Rebecca Ferguson, Richard Armitage, Roald Dahl, Robert Downey Jr, Robert Pattinson, Robert Zemeckis, Ron Perlman, Rosamund Pike, Rose Leslie, Russell Brand, Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Sam Rockwell, Samara Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Samuel Leakey, Sasha Baron Cohen, Scarlett Johannson, Scoob!, Sebastian Stan, Sigourney Weaver, Skeet Ulrich, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sophia Lillis, Sophie Okonedo, Soul movie, Sterling K. Brown, Steve Carell, Tatiana Maslany, Tenet movie, Terence Stamp, The Call of the Wild, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, The Croods 2, The Dig, The Gentlemen, The Informer, The King's Man, The Last Full Measure, The Lodge, The Many Saints of Newark, The New Mutants, The Old Guard, The One and Only Ivan, The Personal History of David Copperfield, The Rhythm Section, The Secret Garden, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, The Tomorrow War, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Willoughbys, The Witches, The Woman in the Window, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, Tina Fey, Tom Bateman, Tom Clancy, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Tom Hardy, Tom Holland, Top Gun: Maverick, Tracy Morgan, Trolls World Tour, Troop Zero, Uncharted movie, Underwater, Universal Studios, Vanessa Hudgens, Venom 2, Vera Farmiga, Vin Diesel, Viola Davis, Voyager space probe, Welcome to Sudden Death, Wendy movie, Wesley Snipes, Will Ferrell, Will Forte, Will Smith, William Hurt, Without Remorse, Wonder Woman 1984, Wonderland, Wyatt Russell, Yifei Liu, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Ziyi Zhang

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Now streaming–Liam Neeson’s Cold Pursuit makes the cut as satisfying revenge flick

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September 8, 2019

Review by C.J. Bunce

This is what I was hoping for in Jonas Åkerlund’s movie Polar, the brutal Mads Mikkelsen dark action movie that was more wannabe Zack Snyder than anything interesting, fun, or thought-provoking. Cold Pursuit is something like Polar. You’ll feel the cold, sure. But director Hans Petter Molland′s take on dark comedy is a little more subtle, less “look at me and all the carnage I can fit on a screen and have my characters laugh about.” But Cold Pursuit is also not the Coen Brothers’ Fargo. And that’s a good thing if you don’t worship Coen Brothers movies. It’s also a good thing if you like Fargo only a little bit.

What the heck am I talking about? Unlike a lot of films that go direct to streaming services, this was a theatrical release. You can tell the difference. So it beats out most direct-to-Netflix, Amazon, etc. fare. But Cold Pursuit was marketed and billed more like a dark comedy. Only it’s not very funny. But it’s an enjoyable, satisfying revenge flick. So blame the marketing. Cold Pursuit is a steady, measured drama about a resourceful snowplow driver near Denver, played by Liam Neeson (sporting a Han Solo at Hoth parka), who is successful at his job, but less successful with his family relationships, including communicating with his wife, played rather blandly by Laura Dern (it’s the part, not the performer). When their son is murdered by a low-level member of the local drug community, Neeson’s character, Nels Coxman, first tries to kill himself. When he learns his kid wasn’t really involved in drugs he begins relentlessly pursuing everyone involved in the world that killed his son, aiming for the top, which reaches back to an anal-retentive, self-absorbed, young, wealthy kingpin called Viking back in the city, played expertly vile by Tom Bateman (Murder on the Orient Express). This is when the movie takes the action turn. Bateman plays that villain you love to hate and really want to see get a comeuppance.

Dozens of named characters get killed in different ways throughout the picture (I thought about counting the bodies but didn’t). Each cleverly gets their own pre-sound era cinema “tombstone” as they are marked off the list (including their religion–oddly irrelevant but humorous). Even if it’s a little spoliery (yes, that’s the correct spelling) to know it, if it helps get people to see the movie then it’s worth knowing that Neeson’s character is not a criminal type or tough guy, but calls forth that familiar guy from the Taken movies to open ample six-packs (several) of whoop-ass on the bad guys.

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Tags: Cold Pursuit, Cold Pursuit movie review, Emmy Rossum, Fargo, Hans Petter Molland, John Doman, Laura Dern, Liam Neeson, like Fargo, Now streaming, Polar movie Netflix, Tom Bateman, Tom Jackson, William Forsythe, winter movies

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All the movies you’ll want to see in 2019

Filed under: Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes — Leave a comment

December 25, 2018

Merry Christmas!

It’s that time of year again, time to take a look forward at what movies should be on your radar for 2019. Are you going to see them all? Heck no. These are the genre films we think borg readers will want to know about to make their own checklists for the coming year–and they are only the films we know about so far. We pulled 78 of the hundreds of films that have been finalized or are in varying stages of final production, slated for next year’s movie calendar.

What looks to top the list for most fanboys and fangirls? The last of the nine films in the Star Wars saga. Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Shazam! is DC’s contribution. Quentin Tarantino returns to movies to direct Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Martin Scorsese is back with an all-star cast in The Irishman (on Netflix). M. Night Shyamalan finishes his dark superhero trilogy with Glass. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton return in Terminator. Jordan Peele is back with another horror film with Us.

Do you like sequels? This is your year. Another Men in Black, X-Men, Shaft, Happy Death Day, Lego Movie, Hellboy, John Wick, Kingsman, Jumanji, The Secret Life of Pets, How to Train Your Dragon, Fast and the Furious, Zombieland, Addams Family, Charlie’s Angels, Godzilla, Shaun the Sheep, Annabelle,and Stephen King’s It and Pet Sematary—Disney is trying to get you to move into your local theater with another Toy Story, Aladdin, Dumbo, Frozen, and Lion King–all in one year. Yep, lots and lots of sequels are coming.

Some films don’t have locked-in release dates yet. Amazon Prime and Netflix haven’t revealed dates for these 2019 releases:

Martin Scorcese’s The Irishman, a film about Jimmy Hoffa starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, and Bobby Cannavale (Netflix)
The Kid, a Western biopic with Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Dane DeHaan, and Vincent D’Onofrio (Netflix)
The Man Who Killed Hitler Then Bigfoot, starring Sam Elliott (Netflix)
6 Underground, a Michael Bay film starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Hardy, Dave Franco, and Mélanie Laurent (Netflix)
The Last Thing He Wanted, Dee Rees directs Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, and Toby Jones; journalist quits newspaper job to become an arms dealer for a covert government agency (Netflix)
The Laundromat, Steven Soderbergh directs Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, James Cromwell, about the Pentagon Papers (Netflix)
Radioactive, Rosamund Pike plays Marie Curie, with Anya Taylor-Joy (Amazon)

Some of these films will have revised release dates, or get pushed to 2020.

So grab your calendar and start making your plans–here are the movies you’ll want to see in 2019 (and many you might not):

January

Glass – Superhero, M. Night Shyamalan trilogy part 3, stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy; continues where Unbreakable and Split left off – January 18.

Serenity – Mystery/Thriller, stars Anne Hathaway, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, Jeremy Strong, Diane Lane; sorry, no relation to Firefly – January 25.

King of Thieves – Heist Comedy, stars Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Charlie Cox, Michael Gambon, and Ray Winstone – January 25.

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Tags: 2019 movies, 6 Underground, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Aardman Animations, Ad Astra movie, Adam Lambert, Addams Family 2019, Al Pacino, Aladdin 2019, Alan Arkin, Alan Ruck, Albert Brooks, Alexandra Shipp, Alfre Woodard, Alison Brie, Alita: Battle Angel, Amy Adams, Anna Paquin, Annabelle 3, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Antonio Banderas, Anya Taylor-Joy, Arctic 2019 movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Avengers: Endgame, Ben Affleck, Ben Hardy, Ben Mendelsohn, Beyoncé, Billy Magnussen, Bobby Cannavale, Bobby Moynihan, Brad Pitt, Bradley Whitford, Brie Larson, Bruce Willis, Call of the Wild, Call of the Wild movie 2019, Captain Marvel, Captive State, Cate Blanchett, cats, Channing Tatum, Charlie Cox, Charlie Heaton, Charlie Hunnam, Charlie's Angels, Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chloë Grace Moretz, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Christian Bale, Christmas 2018, Christoph Waltz, Clive Owen, Cold Pursuit, Colin Farrell, Common, Craig Ferguson, D.B. Sweeney, Daisy Ridley, Dakota Fanning, Dan Stevens, Dana Carvey, Daniel Dae Kim, Daniel Radcliffe, Danny DeVito, Dave Bautista, Dave Franco, David Harbour, Death on the Nile, Dee Rees, Dennis Quaid, Diane Lane, DJ Khaled, Djimon Hounsou, Donald Glover, Donald Sutherland, Downton Abbey, Dumbo 2019, Dwayne Johnson, Eiza González, Elisabeth Shue, Elizabeth Banks, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, Emmy Rossum, Eva Green, Evan Peters, F. Murray Abraham, Finn Wolfhard, Ford vs Ferrari, Frozen 2, Gabriel Bateman, Garrett Hedlund, Gary Oldman, Gemini Man, Gemma Chan, Glass, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Greyhound 2019 movie, Happy Death Day 2U, Harrison Ford, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren, Hellboy, Hellboy 2019, Hellboy 2019 movie, Helter Skelter, Hobbs and Shaw, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Ian McShane, IT: Chapter 2, Jackie Earle Haley, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Cromwell, James Earl Jones, James McAvoy, Jason Clarke, Jason Statham, Jay Baruchel, Jeff Fahey, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Jeremy Strong, Jesse Eisenberg, Jessica Chastain, Jessica Rothe, Jessie T. Usher, Jim Broadbent, Jim Carrey, Jim Gaffigan, Joaquin Phoenix, Joe Pesci, Joel Kinnaman, John Goodman, John Lithgow, John Malkovich, John Oliver, John Wick: Chapter 3, Joker movie 2019, Jon Bernthal, Jonah Hill, Jordan Peele, Josh Gad, Josh Lucas, Jude Law, Judi Dench, Jumanji 2, Karen Gillan, Keanu Reeves, Keegan-Michael Key, Keira Knightley, Ken Watanabe, Kenan Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Branagh movies, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Hart, King of Thieves, Kingsman 3, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kristen Stewart, Kurt Russell, Kyle Chandler, Laura Dern, Laurence Fishburne, Lee Pace, Leonardo DiCaprio, Liam Neeson, Linda Hamilton, Little Women, Luke Kleintank, M. Night Shyamalan, Mads Mikkelsen, Mahershala Ali, Maisie Williams, Margot Robbie, Mark Strong, Martin Scorsese, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Masi Oka, Matt Damon, Matthew Broderick, Matthew Vaughn, Meghan Trainor, Melanie Laurent, Men in Black International, Meryl Streep, Michael Bay, Michael Fassbender, Michael Gambon, Michael Keaton, Michelle Rodriguez, Midway movie 2019, Mila Kunis, Milla Jovovich, Millie Bobby Brown, Mira Sorvino, Missing Link 2019, Mr. Rogers, Naomi Scott, Nicholas Hoult, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Oscar Isaac, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt, Pedro Pascal, Pet Sematary 2019, Playmobil: The Movie, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Quentin Tarantino, Radioactive, Rashida Jones, Ray Winstone, Rebel Wilson, Rene Russo, Richard Roundtree, Rocketman, Rosamund Pike, Ruby Rose, Ryan Reynolds, Sally Hawkins, Sam Elliott, Samuel L. Jackson, Sasha Lane, Serenity 2019, Shaft 2019 movie, Sharon Tate, Shazam, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sophie Turner, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spies in Disguise, Star Wars Episode IX, Stephen Fry, Steven Soderbergh, Stuber movie, Taron Egerton, Terminator movie 2019, Tessa Thompson, The Aftermath, The Good Liar, The Hustle 2019, The Informer, The Irishman, The Last Thing He Wanted, The Laundromat, The LEGO Movie: The Second Part, The Lion King 2019, The Man Who Killed Hitler Then Bigfoot, The New Mutants, The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Woman in the Window, Thomas Haden Church, Tim Allen, Tim Blake Nelson, Tim Burton, Tim Miller, Timothy Olyphant, Toby Jones, Tom Bateman, Tom Courtenay, Tom Hanks, Tom Holland, Tommy Lee Jones, Toni Colette, Toy Story 4, Triple Frontier, Us 2019 movie, Velvet Buzzsaw, Vera Farmiga, Will Arnett, Will Smith, Willem Dafoe, Wonder Park, Woody Harrelson, Wyatt Russell, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, You Are My Friend, Zach Galifianakis, Zachary Levi, Zazie Beetz, Zoe Saldana, Zombieland Too

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Review–Branagh’s Orient Express a faithful, exciting remake full of genre greats

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November 17, 2017

Review by C.J. Bunce

Many have asked: Why make another Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express? You could just as easily ask: Why adapt another Shakespeare play? Or Why make another Sherlock Holmes series? When your story is great, and becomes as classic as Agatha Christie’s famous, timeless 1934 novel, it’s sort of the point of cinema, isn’t it? From an actor standpoint, being in one of the film versions of Murder on the Orient Express, and portraying such iconic roles, is something like being cast as King Lear. And who better than Kenneth Branagh to inject his own vision of the story into a new snapshot of acting greats for a new era of audience members? Of Branagh’s twenty directorial pursuits, you must go back to the early era of Dead Again and Peter’s Friends to find Branagh not serving as puppetmaster of someone else’s well-known world, whether it’s Shakespeare in Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet (and the list goes on), or adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Marvel Comics’ Thor, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Branagh is the king of directing adaptations and remakes. Add Murder on the Orient Express to that list, a faithful adaptation of the book, stylishly filmed with lavish, sweeping sets and landscapes courtesy of cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, Branagh’s choice cameraman on four of his past films.

The year’s casting award goes to Lucy Bevan for bring filmgoers back to the age of the all-star cast, where you’d look to 1970s disaster movies (Airport ’76, Towering Inferno, Earthquake) or the odd comedy (think It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) for a pantheon of stars like that found in Orient Express. Branagh as Hercule Poirot sports that classic era moustache with confidence (Christie herself called Poirot’s moustache “magnificent” and “immense”) and he adds his own quirks and humor to Christie’s legendary greatest detective, providing a new twist on the Holmes/Monk/House, M.D. frustrated genius detective archetype. So many of the cast members appear every bit like Golden Age film stars here, including Branagh, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Daisy Ridley, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Penélope Cruz, Derek Jacobi, and Leslie Odom, Jr., with a particularly engaging performance by Tom Bateman as Poirot’s friend Bouc, in what will no doubt be seen as a great breakout role for the actor.

The film will be best for those unfamiliar with the story. A famous detective receives a message requiring him to squeeze onto a full train at the last minute with a little more than a dozen passengers aboard. When one passenger who fears for his life and requests assistance from the detective winds up dead in a brutal, bloody murder, the whodunit begins. Once a snowy avalanche blocks the path of the train, the game is afoot as the delay provides enough time for Detective Poirot to begin interviewing the passengers. The mystery is laid out with several clues, including just enough to allow the viewer to figure out who killed the victim if he/she is paying close attention. And Branagh stages the investigation like a game of Clue/Cluedo–including overhead angles that at times make the viewer feel like Murder on the Orient Express is indeed a virtual reality version of the board game. We know the murder weapons and the location, but who is responsible for the death and why?

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