Casting disaster…
I watched the re-make of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, and to say that it is vastly inferior to the 1974 masterpiece would be an understatement.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also disastrously cast himself as Poirot, this train never should have left the station. You are so distracted by his Poirot’s cheesy mustache that anything he utters is completely lost. Dame Judi Dench looks embarrassed to even be there.
In what was probably an attempt at politically-correct casting, Colonel Arbuthnot is now a colored boy. Branagh apparently didn’t realize that the only way a black guy is getting on the Orient Express in 1932 is as a Pullman porter named George. The Italian chauffeur from the original film is now a Latino, Biniamino Marquez, another nod to diversity? The role of the Swedish nurse that won Ingrid Bergman an Academy Award in the 1974 film is now also recast as a Latina, Pilar Estravados! In 1932, no wealthy families were hiring Mexicans as household staff! They might as well have moved the setting to the Los Angeles barrio – Murder on the Wetback Express, perhaps?
I thought this was a passable job, considering it’s a remake of a remake…I never understood why they didn’t remake movies that had potential but just didn’t hit the mark, instead of remaking an Oscar-worthy picture and not living up to the original.
@greenthumb I thought the 1974 movie was the original screen adaptation? And I agree, re-make the ones that showed potential, not the ones that hit the home run!
@bedlamhillfarm You are correct; there was at least one TV adaptation, and I saw it just recently, with David Suchet in his Poirot role.
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I enjoyed the Murder with Lauren Bacall. You are right about the mustache….
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Have you seen Victoria and Abdul? Don’t even get me started on the rewriting of history for sake of diversity!
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LOL.
Yes, agreed
remakes belong to the movies that “were eh, could have been better” not movies that everyone loves, enjoys to rewatch and are now talked about as CLASSICS.
This has become a trend “remake it” blah
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