Review: Albert Finney and a Star-Studded Cast Power 1974 "Murder on the Orient Express"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 of 2022 (No. 1817) by Leroy Douresseaux

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Running time:  128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Sidney Lumet
WRITER: Paul Dehn
PRODUCERS:  John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Geoffrey Unsworth
EDITOR:  Anne V. Coates
COMPOSER:  Richard Rodney Bennett
Academy Award winner

MYSTERY

Starring:  Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark, Michael York, Colin Blakely, George Coulouris, and Denis Quilley

Murder on the Orient Express is a 1974 British mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet.  It is based on the 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express, written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976).  Murder on the Orient Express focuses on a revered detective who tries to solve a murder on a snow bound train, while dealing with a multitude of suspects.

Murder on the Orient Express finds acclaimed detective, Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney), ready to board the transcontinental luxury train, “the Orient Express,” in December 1935.  Having solved a case for a British Army garrison in Jordan, he is due to travel to London on the Orient Express from Istanbul.  There, he encounters his old friend, Signor Bianchi (Martin Balsam), a director of the company which owns the line.

There are other notable passengers traveling in the same coach as Poirot and Bianchi.  There is the assertive and talkative American widow, Harriet Belinda Hubbard (Lauren Bacall).  The quiet English governess, Mary Debenham (Vanessa Redgrave), and Colonel John Arbuthnott (Sean Connery) of the British Indian Army have apparently struck up a relationship.  Swedish missionary, Greta Ohlsson (Ingrid Bergman), is on a trip to raise charity funds so that she can continue to take care of “little brown babies.”  American businessman Samuel Ratchett (Richard Widmark), is on a business trip with with his secretary/translator, Hector McQueen (Anthony Perkins), and his English valet, Edward Beddoes (John Gielgud).

There is an Italian-American car salesman, Antonio Foscarelli (Denis Quilley).  Elderly Russian Princess Natalia Dragomiroff (Wendy Hiller) travels with her stout German maid, Hildegarde Schmidt (Rachel Roberts).  Hungarian Count Rudolf Andrenyi (Michael York) and his wife, Elena (Jacqueline Bisset), are always together.  American theatrical agent, Cyrus Hardman (Colin Blakely), is always in the background.  The train's French conductor, Pierre Michel (Jean-Pierre Cassel), attends to the passengers' numerous needs.

On the second morning of the journey, Samuel Ratchett is found dead.  Signor Bianchi asks the esteemed Monsieur Poirot if he can discover the identity of the murder before the train arrives in Brod, where the Yugoslavian police will take over the investigation.  With the assistance of Bianchi and the Greek physician, Dr. Constantine (George Coulouris), Poirot discovers that the victim was stabbed 12 times.  Now, he must investigate 13 suspects.  Who has committed this murder?  Who is lying?  Where is the truth?  And what is the real story behind the mysterious American who is the victim?  Poirot must discover the answers before the murderer strikes again aboard a train that becomes snowbound.

Agatha Christie died about 14 months after the release of Murder on the Orient Express.  Apparently, this film and Witness for the Prosecution were the only movie adaptations of her books that she liked.  She was also apparently pleased with Albert Finney's performance as Hercule Poirot.

The primary treat of Murder on the Orient Express is its star-studded cast, led by Albert Finney, who earned a “Best Actor” Oscar nomination for his performance.  Ingrid Bergman won the “Best Supporting Actress” Oscar for her role as Greta Ohlsson, a performance that is so immersed in technical detail that it seems more fitting for some high-minded, serious dramatic film.  In general, the women here give strong performances in character roles.  Wendy Hiller is a delight as Princess Natalia Dragomiroff, and Lauren Bacall chews up the scenery as the assertive and talkative Mrs. Hubbard.

The cast of this film is comprised of the some of the biggest movie stars of the middle twentieth century.  Some were not known for playing character roles, but in Murder on the Orient Express, they flexed their character acting chops.  The result of these star performances is a hugely entertaining whodunit with a shocking murder and plenty of terrific intrigue.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and although I was initially put off by Albert Finney as Poirot, I soon found myself unable to stop watching him.  Yes, 1974 Murder on the Orient Express shows its age, but fans of whodunits, of Agatha Christie, of murder mystery films will want to see this film.

7 out of 10
A-

Wednesday, February 9, 2022


NOTES:
1975 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win:  “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Ingrid Bergman); 5 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Albert Finney), “Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material” (Paul Dehn), “Best Cinematography” (Geoffrey Unsworth), “Best Costume Design” (Tony Walton), and “Best Music, Original Dramatic Score” (Richard Rodney Bennett)

1975 BAFTA Awards:  3 wins:  “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Richard Rodney Bennett), “Best Supporting Actor” (John Gielgud), and “Best Supporting Actress” (Ingrid Bergman); 7 nominations:  “Best Actor” (Albert Finney), “Best Art Direction” (Tony Walton), “Best Cinematography” (Geoffrey Unsworth – also for “Zardoz”), “Best Costume Design” (Tony Walton), “Best Direction” (Sidney Lumet – also for “Serpico”), “Best Film,” and “Best Film Editing” (Anne V. Coates)


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 14th to 20th, 2016 - Update #42

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From USWeekly:  Natalie Portman says the late Lauren Bacall did not like her.

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Joseph Goebbels 105-year-old former secretary still playing dumb in the documentary, "A German Life."

----------
CRIME - From TheGuardian:  Police Will Be Required to Report Officer-Involved Deaths Under New US System.

----------
ECO - From RSN:  Politicians in Louisiana finally try to hold oil companies accountable for what they have done to the coast and marshes of the state.

----------
TELEVISION - From YahooCelebrity:  Steven Bochco, the creator of the seminal televisions series, "NYPD Blue," has a new memoir, "Truth is a Total Defense."  He details the antics of David Caruso, who was ostensibly the lead actor and star of the series, who left the series four episodes into the second season.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From YahooMovies:  Zendaya is playing a character named "Michlle" or "M.J." in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

From EW:  "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn addresses the fake controversy over Zendaya's casting as "M.J."

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OBIT - From Variety:  The actor Jack Riley has died at the age of 80, Friday, August 19, 2016.  He was known for his work on "The Bob Newhart Show" and for providing the voice of "Stu Pickles" on the "Rugrats" animated series.

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Vin Diesel confirms that the Guardians of the Galaxy will be in "Avengers: Infinity War."

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FILM - From Variety:  Ben Affleck is in talks with fox to star in and to direct a remake of "Witness for the Prosecution."

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COMICS-FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  In "Spider-Man: Homeing," Bokeem Woodbine is apparently playing the villain, "The Shocker."

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (a "Harry Potter" spinoff) adds Zoe Kravitz.  She has a small role in the first film, but may have a bigger role in the sequel (due in 2018)/

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Jared Leto joins "Blade Runner" sequel.

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OBAMA - From YahooNews:  Louisiana newspaper, The Advocate, is demanding that President Obama end his vacation at Martha's Vineyard and visit Louisiana because of the devastating flooding.  The Advocate never endorsed President Obama, and he never got more than 40 percent of the vote in La.  So call McCain and Romney.  By the way, I escaped the devastation and only have minor home issues, but in my area, some people did get it bad.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Ferrell and John C.. Reilly, the star duo of the film, "Step Brothers," reunited from a comic take on Sherlock Holmes in "Holmes & Watson."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Leslie Odom, Jr. in talks to join Kenneth Branagh's "Murder on the Orient Express."  Odom won a Tony Award for "Best Actor" in his role as Aaron Burr in the smash musical, "Hamilton."

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OBIT - From TheWrap:  The film director, Arthur Hiller, has dies at the age of 92, Wednesday, August 17, 2016.  Hiller's best known film was "Love Story," and he was the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1993 to 1997.

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COMICS-TV - From EOnline:  Josh Schwartz, the man behind the hit TV shows, "Gossip Girl" and "The O.C.," will develop the Marvel Comic book, Runaways, as a TV series for Hulu.  Stephanie Savage, also of "Gossip Girl," will join him in the development.

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OBIT-POLITICS - From People:  The political pundit and TV host, John McLaughlin, has died at the age of 89, Tuesday, August 16, 2016.  He was the host of the "The McLaughlin Group," a political round table show on PBS, for 34 years.

----------
POLITICS - From RSN: Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore says:  "Trump Is Self-Sabotaging His Campaign Because He Never Really Wanted the Job in the First Place"

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Another victory by Sweden's women soccer team at the Olympics basically says "F'you!" to U.S. soccer whiner, Hope Solo.

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MOVIES - From CinemaBlend:  Kevin Bacon would not mind being Freddy Krueger.

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COMICS-FILM - From SFGate:  First look at "Spider-Man: Homecoming" poster.

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CULTURE - From Breitbart:  When he says "Dangerous Faggot Tour," he means "Clownish Cocksucker Tour."

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MOVIES - From THR:  The Nate Parker "rape case" from 17 years ago is now a new controversy.  The alleged victim's family says "...we are dubious of the underlying motivations that bring this to present light after 17 years, and we will not take part in stoking its coals..."  This smells like a hit on a strong Oscar contender from a Black filmmaker or about a Black historical figure, similar to hate campaigns against films like "Selma" and "The Hurricane."

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MOVIES - From EntertainmentWeekly:  Behold Pennywise the Clown's costume from next year's film, "It," based on the Stephen King novel.  I'm still not buying this dude as scary, and I was indeed scared of Pennywise when I read the original novel about 30 years ago.

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HEALTH - From IBT:  Is the Cure for Alzheimer's Already on the Market?

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Amazon has greenlit a 10-episode "Jack Ryan" series, starring John Krasinski as Jack Ryan.  This is a "reinvention" of the character created by late author, Tom Clancy.  Krasinski would be the fifth actor to play the character on the big and small screen.

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MOVIES - From CinemaBlend:  A new image from the film version of Stephen King's "It," featuring the character "Richie Tozier."  The film is due in theaters September 2017.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Production has begin in Canada on Guillermo del Toro's next film, "The Shape of Water," his follow-up to "Crimson Peak."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore" has been cancelled, and its last episode will air, Thursday, August 18, 2016.  I'm so bitter right now.

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OBIT - From Variety:  The actor Fyvush Finkel has died at the age of 93, Sunday, August 14, 2016.  He was best known for his roles on the TV series, "Picket Fences" (for which he won an Emmy) and "Boston Public."

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CULTURE - From WashPost:  White Christian America is dying.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The #1 film at the 8/12 to 8/14/2016 weekend box office is "Suicide Squad" with an estimated take of $43.7 million.

From Variety:  The R-rated, animated comedy, "Sausage Party," has a strong debut, while "Suicide Squad" wins the weekend box office, although its gross plunged 67 percent from its debut last week.

From Variety:  "Suicide Squad" leads the international box office.

----------
SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt, makes history by becoming the first man to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100 meter race.

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HISTORY - From PopularMechanics:  Bones found on a mountaintop in Greece may confirm that ancient Greeks practiced ritualistic cannibalism.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Kevin Hart got married this weekend.

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OBIT - From Deadline:  The actor Kenny Baker has died at the age of 81 (although some reports are listing him at 82 or 83).  The 3-foot, 8-inch actor is best known for playing R2-D2 in six Star Wars movies.  Baker also appeared in "The Elephant Man," "Time Bandits," and "The Goonies."

From Variety:  Hollywood remembers Kenny Baker.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From IndieWire:  Tilda Swinton says that "Doctor Strange" movie comes from " a very diverse place."

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SPORTS - From USAToday:  At the Rio Olympics, Michael Phelps ends his career with 23rd gold medal.


TRAILERS:

From FoxMovies:  The new (first?) trailer for the historical drama, "Hidden Figures," about the African-American women mathematicians and engineers at NASA during the Space Race.  The film is due in January 2017 and stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae.

From YouTube:  New one-minute "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" spot, entitled "Followed."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of August 10th to August 16th, 2014 - Update #13

NEWS:

From the BostonHerald:  Jackie Chan says that he has been approached about appearing in a few sequels, including "Rush Hour 4" and "The Expendables 4."

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From Today:  Star Trek legend, George Takei (Sulu), recalls his family being taken at gunpoint (with bayonet) in 1942 on their way to an American internment camp during World War II.  This story and more will be included in "To Be Takei," the documentary about his life.

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From Deadline:  Mike Epps apparently delivered an explosive screen test that has him as the front-runner to play iconic stand-up comic and actor, Richard Pryor, in a planned biopic from Oscar-nominated director, Lee Daniels, for The Weinstein Company.

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One of the other actors being considered is Marlon Wayans, who was the choice when Adam Sandler's Happy Madison was producing a Pryor film with Dreamgirls' Bill Condon directing.  Michael B. Jordan and Nick Cannon are also being considered.  Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are among those considered to play Pryor's wife, Jennifer Lee Pryor.

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From YahooFinance:  Amazon is refusing to accept pre-orders on some Walt Disney DVDs in a battle that is similar to Amazon's feud with book publisher, Hachette.

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From YahooCelebrity:  Tyler Posey, star of MTV's "Teen Wolf," played Jennifer Lopez's young son in the 2002 film, Maid in Manhattan.  Lopez and Posey reunited on stage last night at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards.  This article also has a list of the award ceremony's winners.  Most of the winners were movies based on books written for teens and the young adult audience.


COMIC BOOKS - Movies, TV, and Comics:

From IGN:  SPOILERS! Lex Luthor's dastardly plot in "Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" may have been revealed.  It involves a corpse and kryptonite.

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From Yahoo:  Vin Diesel teasing or trolling his fans about starring in a possible Marvel Studios film featuring the Inhumans.

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From TheWrap:  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles update won the August 8 to 10, 2014 weekend box office.

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From THR:  Ninja Turtles sequel announced for June 3, 2016.

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From YahooMovies:  Photographic evidence that Guardians of the Galaxy star, Chris Pratt, was homeless and lived in a van at one time.


STAR WARS:

From LatinoReview:  Episode VII plots, villains, spoilers, etc.

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From IndieRevolver:  An alleged look at how Han Solo (Harrison Ford) will look in Star Wars: Episode VII.

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From IndieRevolver:  About the alleged Sith villain of Episode VII.

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From Twitter:  An interesting photo.


OBITS:

From Variety: Lauren Bacall, legendary Hollywood actress and icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood, has died at the age of 89.  She made her debut at the age of 19 in the film, To Have and to Have Not (directed by Howard Hawks), opposite another legend and icon, Humphrey Bogart.  She died at her apartment in Manhattan today, Tuesday, August 12, 2014.  My heart is broken.  Negromancer sends condolences to Ms. Bacall's family and friends.

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From TheWeek:  Bacall on Humphrey Bogart's illness and death.

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From CNN:  The actress, Arlene Martel, has died at the age of 78.  She was known to "Star Trek" fans as "T'Pring," the Vulcan priestess who was engaged to marry Spock in the episode "Amok Time" (the first episode of the second season).  Martel died Tuesday, August 12, 2014.  Negromancer sends condolences to her family and friends.


TRAILERS:

From 20th Century Fox:  Second trailer for the animated film, The Book of Life. Film is due Halloween 2014.


MISC:

From YahooNews and the NYPost:  Brittney Griner of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury is engaged to fellow WNBA player, Glory Johnson of the Tulsa Shock.  Both Arizona and Oklahoma, however, practice bigotry in their marriage laws.

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From Truthout:  How the Mainstream Media Helped Kill Michael Brown.  The author's argument makes sense, especially the standpoint of the relationship between law enforcement a crime reporters.

Review: Oscar-nominated "Howl's Moving Castle" is Quite Imaginative

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 56 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004) – animation
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Japan
DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki
WRITER: Hayao Miyazaki (based upon the book by Diana Wynne Jones)
PRODUCER: Toshio Suzuki
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Atsushi Okui
EDITOR: Takeshi Seyama

Howl’s Moving Castle (2005) – USA version
Opening date: June 10, 2005
Running time: 119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)

MPAA – PG for frightening images and brief mild language
DIRECTORS: Pete Docter and Rick Dempsey
WRITERS: Cindy Davis Hewitt and Donald H. Hewitt – adapters; Jim Hubbert – translator
PRODUCERS: Rick Dempsey and Ned Lott
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE/ROMANCE with elements of war

Starring: (English voices) Emily Mortimer, Sofie Gråbøl, Christian Bale, Josh Hutcherson, Blythe Danner, Lauren Bacall, and Billy Crystal

Eighteen-year old Sophie (Emily Mortimer) lives a humdrum existence working in her late father’s hat shop in a dull town when powerful magic enters her life. She encounters the mysterious, handsome, and self-indulgent young wizard, Howl (Christian Bale, who delivers an embarrassingly stiff voice performance). However, the evil Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall, sly and droll) is looking for Howl, and since Sophie won’t cooperate, the witch casts a spell on Sophie that turns the unconfident young woman into an elderly woman, Grandma Sophie (Sofie Gråbøl). Determined to get the spell reversed, Sophie seeks out Howl again, and with the help of a scarecrow who moves by bouncing up and down on his pole (Sophie calls him “Turnip”), she finds Howl’s moving castle, an amazing contraption that walks across the landscape on spindly mechanical legs. Inside the castle lives Calcifer (Billy Crystal, who mixes comedy, mock menace, and a touch poignancy for a fine vocal performance), a fire demon (in the form of a ball of fire) that gives the moving castle the power to travel through time and space. However, Howl’s life is very complicated, and he fights for one side in an on-going war that leaves a terrible wake of destruction. It’s up to Sophie to free Howl of the curse that haunts him, while he plots to end the war.

The animated film, Hauru no ugoku shiro, or Howl’s Moving Castle, is another masterwork from revered Japanese animated filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki. Howl received a 2006 Oscar nomination for “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year,” an award Miyazaki won in 2003 for Spirited Away. While Howl doesn’t reach the heights of Spirited Away, it is a brilliant film, and in many ways surpasses most American films of the last two years in terms of narrative and use of technical achievement in a creative way.

Miyazaki and his collaborators have once again created enormous panoramas of images – awe-inspiring, extravagant, spectacular visuals that coalesce into a narrative that is almost too big even for a Miyazaki film. His movies usually have a novel’s worth of sub-plots and enough characters for an ensemble film, which is the case with Howl’s Moving Castle, although the film really focuses on Sophie and Howl.

Howl’s Moving Castle is a quiet anti-war film. It may be hard to imagine that an animated film could capture the astounding devastation that war can bring to a city, (especially through aerial bombing) as well as a live action film does. However, watching the marvelous flying contraptions of war drop bombs on the countryside and in cities and towns in this film is breathtaking. Miyazaki even takes it up a notch. Magical creatures and monstrosities launch from the incredible flying battle warships and engage Howl in grand aerial battles. Strangely, this art (some of it computer generated) makes war seem cool instead of scary.

For all that this film is about war, Howl is at its heart a romance with war almost as a backdrop, and Sophie and Howl are superb star-crossed lovers. Miyazaki’s script (a loose adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’ novel of the same title) deftly mixes romance with a magic-drenched fantasy of competing wizards and enchanted machinations. It all rings true, except for Christian Bale’s horrid voice acting as Howl. Howl’s Moving Castle is a visual assault on the senses, and it captures the imagination with magic and engages the heart with a love that overcomes all.

9 of 10
A+

Monday, March 27, 2005

NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Hayao Miyazaki)