Murder on the Orient Express [VHS]
by Sidney Lumet
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Product details
Actor: Albert Finney, Anthony Perkins, Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Sean ConneryDirector: Sidney Lumet
Cinematographer: Geoffrey Unsworth
Editor: Anne V. Coates
Producer: John Brabourne
Producer: Richard B. Goodwin
Writer: Agatha Christie
Writer: Anthony Shaffer
Writer: Paul Dehn
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog; French (Original Language); German (Original Language); Italian (Original Language); Swedish (Original Language); Turkish (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Running Time: 128 minutes
Release Date: 1998-02-13
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Publisher: Paramount
Studio: Paramount
VHS Movie Reviews of Murder on the Orient Express [VHS]
Movie Review: Movies vs. Books
Summary: 5 Stars
For those of you out there who are multi talented, able to read and watch television, you already understand that any book that is later represented by a movie is usually far different so if you take the movie for what it is worth as a movie this is one of my favorites. I feel Albert Finney does a fine job of more closely representing the character of Poirot. Though if you are a fan of Peter Ustinov as Poirot you may not like this movie at all. There are some big names in here for the time when the movie was made though I doubt most people today will know who half of them are. There are two actors in this story that also appear in a later Agatha Christie Movie (Evil Under the Sun). And there is also a young Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates from Pyscho). It is a fairly long movie when it was released on VHS it actually came on two tapes. The movie has a richness to it that seems to capture what we believe or want to believe that time period was like. Honestly at the price you not taking a loss, I hope you enjoy. Movie Review: Great except for Finney
Summary: 3 Stars
I'd heard about this movie and had great expectations but was sadly disappointed in the performance by Albert Finney. With Poirot movies, he explains the murder at the end and so his spoken words are vital to the film. Albert Finney's voice modulation (with a profound American 'accent') was extremely difficult and mostly impossible to understand. Oddly, he did not even attempt a French or European accent, but only relied on changing the modulation of his voice - it was very odd and disappointing.
Also strange was his hair which looked as if a bottle of oil had been poured over it and then combed in - the result was a very odd look indeed.
The rest of the cast were wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of the cast of famous movie stars as well as the photography. I've given the movie 3 stars for these attributes. But over all, it was a disappointment. I'm looking forward to Murder on the Orient Express with Poirot portrayed by David Suchet. I understand that he has just signed to do more Poirot movies with this movie one of them.
Movie Review: Another Locked Room Mystery
Summary: 3 Stars
The film begins at the Armstrong home in 1930. Their baby Daisy was kidnapped in the middle of the night. The ransom was paid but Daisy was found slain. Five years later Hercule Poirot is returning from a job. Others arrive on the ferry to Istanbul and the Orient-Express train to Paris. The scenes and costumes provide entertainment and padding. [Would those peddlers be allowed in the train station?] The train travels through the countryside while the people dine and converse. Mr. Ratchet has been threatened, he asked Hercule Poirot to take a job. The train halts because snow blocks the railway. The morning finds Mr. Ratchet dead, stabbed a dozen times. Poirot will investigate. "The murderer is with us now."
Poirot deduces the true identity of Ratchet. He then interviews the other travelers. [What do we learn?] What will they find in a suitcase? What secrets will be revealed? Finally the travelers are gathered in the dining car so Poirot can solve the murder. Is there a complex answer? Poirot begins by explaining the answers of the travelers. Then he reconstructs the murder and provides a solution. Believable? [Only in a fictional world is such a complex plan possible.] The rescue train arrives so the stalled trains continues on its journey. Was justice served by this ending?
Why was Hercule Poirot portrayed in such a hammy style? Editing would have reduced the length of this story.
Movie Review: Starts out slow but has a surprising ending
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie drags on for the first 35 minutes or so. They could have easily condensed introducing the enormous ensemble of characters into 10 minutes or so.
The first 6 minutes does not have any dialogue. However, it contains important information for the movie. You may want to watch it twice, so that you can catch everything that is going on in the introduction.
The only things that kept me from turning this movie off in the beginning were the costumes and the sets. This movie is a period piece set in the 1930's. The train ride was first class all the way.
This movie was worth watching for the costumes, the sets, the brief appearance by Sean Connery, and surprise ending. I recommend it for a one time viewing.
Movie Review: Magnificent and Stylish Murder Second to None
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is a spectacle to the eye. Scenery and costumes had a definite Art Deco flavor, and the special effects were perfectly combined with one of the greatest casts ever assembled.
The music for the opening credits is polished and sophisticated. The train theme is quite unique and lively.
The only negatives are Mr. Finney's makeup and portrayal, which seemed overly exaggerated and hammy. David Suchet and Peter Ustinov gave more subtle performances with a wider range of emotions to their Poirots.
Nevertheless, this is a great must-see movie and one that never ceases to be enjoyed over time. The bonus tracks are also of great interest to any Agatha Christie fan.
Summary of Murder on the Orient Express [VHS]
Just the name "Orient Express" conjures images of a bygone era. Add an all-star cast (including Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, and Lauren Bacall, to name a few) and Agatha Christie's delicious plot and how can you go wrong? Particularly if you add in Albert Finney as Christie's delightfully persnickety sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Someone has knocked off nasty Richard Widmark on this train trip and, to Poirot's puzzlement, everyone seems to have a motive--just the setup for a terrific whodunit. Though it seems like an ensemble film, director Sidney Lumet gives each of his stars their own solo and each makes the most of it. Bergman went so far as to win an Oscar for her role. But the real scene-stealer is the ever-reliable Finney as the eccentric detective who never misses a trick. --Marshall FineMystery & Suspense DVD Video
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