| Murder on the Orient Express |
| Buy the VHS |   |
| Genre: | Suspense |
| Year: | 1974 |
| Rating: | PG |
| Cast: | Sidney Lumet, Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman |
A stylish whodunit in a class that fondly recalls old Hollywood, this treatment of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express by director Sidney Lumet is a zesty star-fest, jam-packed with big-screen images and memorable star turns. The knockout ensemble cast includes Albert Finney (as master detective Hercule Poirot), Lauren Bacall, John Gielgud, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman in an Oscar-winning performance. The tale takes places on a luxurious, snowbound transcontinental passenger train, as Poirot searches for a killer among the passengers. By virtue of its relatively simple plot and underlying morality play, Christie's source novel survives the transfer to film better than many of her more labyrinthine efforts. Finney, too, shines as Poirot, bringing to life to the fussy mannerisms that make the character so easily caricatured. The opening flashback sequences are striking and hauntingly effective, and the entire production is lavish and self-assured. Entertaining and appealingly old-fashioned, Murder on the Orient Express is a gripping tale of murder and retribution that reaffirms one's faith in the inescapable mechanisms of justice. Amy Robinson
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