I went to see this because a friend wanted to and I was pleasantly surprised. I did not see any earlier version nor read the book so I did not know the solution. I enjoyed it. I did not completely guess the end but my thoughts were circling it very closely and I was close.
I had Michelle Pfeiffer pegged as the killer pretty early and I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence so many people connected to the victim were all on the train so my guess was she manipulated things so that everyone on the train would have a motive to keep quiet. It didn’t occur to me they all actually did the deed until the movie revealed it
Side note: I usually avoid crowded movies but saw this at a 7:30 pm weekend showing that was so full they moved it to a larger theater. Since it was a movie not aimed at kids it was a quiet and attentive audience that was very pleasant. Thus ends my “Old Man yells at Cloud” moment.
I just saw it with the family last night. My two almost-teenage boys didn’t care for it, which is usually a good indicator that the movie was actually quite good.
I haven’t read the book, although it’s on my list (which likely means it’ll never happen). I loved the 1974 version. I watched that one for the first time—in anticipation of seeing this version—a few months ago. Unfortunately I’m one of those people that don’t remember movie details well so I had trouble comparing who was who in each version. I did find that the characters were better developed in the 1974 version. I’ve not seen the David Suchet or any other versions.
For the new version I think the cinematography was great and the numerous long takes made it more so. That action sequence of the chase down the trestles was stupid; it seemed very out of place. Otherwise I liked all of it.
Agreed. Compared to the 1974 version it’s inferior. Judged on its own merits it’s a pretty good film. I wouldn’t mind owning it on DVD when it comes out.
I’m obviously quite late to the party here, but I recently watched the first bit of this film on a Turkish Airlines flight out of Istanbul (which seemed appropriate!)—decided it warranted a better screen and sound system than a airline seatback screen and earbuds—and so watched it from the beginning here at home.
And I liked it very much! I loved Kenneth Branagh’s portrayal of Poirot—including the mustache. I liked the cinematography, the costumes, and the sets, even though they were obviously glamorized.
As for the plot, I’ve never read the book or seen the earlier film(s), so I was unspoiled going in. I did figure out before it was revealed that they were all in on it.
[Note: more spoilers follow, but I’m not going to hide them going forward.]
I did find the action sequence on the bridge to be out-of-place, but it was mercifully short and called back to the even briefer “action” sequence in front of the Wailing Wall in the opening scene.
I liked the fact that at the end Poirot apparently gave Mrs. Hubbard the opportunity to cover up their crime, but she did not take it. This evidently convinced him that she (and by extension, the rest of the group) was redeemable and unlikely to re-offend, and so he let her (and the rest) go free.
Because the doctor was a sharpshooter in the war. Poirot realized that he had purposely avoided any vital organs and was not actually trying to kill him, and that his exclamation was part of of the act.
And if the doctor was playing a part, maybe they all were…