Tag: films

From Page to Screen: Murder on the Orient Express

whatcathyreadnext6 Comments

 

About the Book: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer. Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.

Read my review of the book here.

Kenneth BranaghAbout the Film: Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Murder on the Orient Express is directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green based on Agatha Christie’s novel. A star-studded cast includes Sir Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, Johnny Depp as Ratchett, Michelle Pfeiffer as Mrs Hubbard along with Penelope Cruz, Dame Judi Dench, Daisy Ridley, Sir Derek Jacob and others.

More information about the film can be found here.

Book v Film (Spoiler free)

Firstly, I’m going to confess that I’m a fan of the 1974 film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot.  Alongside Finney are a succession of Hollywood big names such as Lauren Bacall and Richard Widmark and some of the cream of British film and theatre, including Sir John Gielgud, Michael York, Vanessa Redgrave and Sean Connery.

However, I’m also a great admirer of Sir Kenneth Branagh’s work, notably his wonderful version of Henry V. In fact, I’m not sure anyone other than him would have tempted me to consider seeing a new version of Murder on the Orient Express.   I was lucky enough to view the film at my local independent cinema, Reading Film Theatre. Its President is none other than Sir Kenneth Branagh. He was brought up in Reading and was a member of the RFT for a time. Those of us attending the film got a bonus in the form of a specially recorded video message from Sir Kenneth about the film and his connections with the RFT. He mentioned that one of the films he remembered seeing there was Dog Day Afternoon, directed by….yes, Sidney Lumet.

The script of this latest version follows fairly closely the plot of the book, although an opening scene has been added which I thought largely superfluous.   Branagh’s Poirot has the keen observational and deductive skills of Agatha Christie’s literary creation but is a tad more energetic. As director, Branagh chooses not to confine the action to inside the stranded train, as in the earlier film version and in the original book.

The passengers on the train represent the same varied collection of characters as in the book, although some character names have been changed and there is a little more diversity in the casting than in the earlier film version. With a large cast of characters, it’s probably impossible to avoid some of them having very little screen time and this was the case here. For instance, poor Olivia Colman got only a few lines and she had to say most of those in German! In terms of performances, Branagh’s stands out. The screenplay added some back story to the character of Hercule Poirot and a little wry humour but retained the essence of the fussy, exacting man of Agatha Christie’s books. Branagh was good at tempering Poirot’s, at times, pompous belief in his own abilities with hints of inner doubt and questioning of the nature of justice. I also really liked Sir Derek Jacobi’s sympathetic portrayal of Ratchett’s valet, Masterman, but then I’m a fan of Sir Derek and he represents that class of actor who can make something powerful on the screen out of very little on the page.

As you might expect from an experienced director like Branagh, the film is well shot, there are expertly handled crowd scenes and some luscious scenery as the train proceeds on its journey. The closing lines attempt to be a clever joke but to anyone familiar with another very famous Agatha Christie mystery come across merely as a goof.

The Verdict

The film respects the book’s ingenious plot and the inventiveness of the solution to the murder of Ratchett.   Although I enjoyed the film, as in so many cases before, I believe the book wins out. However, I’m sure people who have never read the book or are too young to have seen the earlier film version will probably enjoy it. Personally, I’d recommend reading the book and then watching the 1974 film version just to wallow in the glamourous setting, the starry cast and the glorious music of Richard Rodney Bennett.

What do you think? Have you read the book or seen the film?

From Page to Screen: A Man Called Ove

whatcathyreadnext10 Comments

About the Book: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbour from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heart-warming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

Read my review of the book here.

About the Film:  En man som heter Ove (2015)

A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove) is directed by Hannes Holm from his own screenplay based on Fredrik Backman’s novel. The film stars Rolf Lassgård as Ove, Filip Berg as Young Ove, Ida Engvoll as Sonja and Bahar Pars as Parveneh.

More information about the film can be found here.

Book v Film

The film largely follows the plot of the book, interspersing Ove’s encounters with his new neighbours and his thwarted attempts to be reunited with his beloved wife, Sonja, with flashbacks to his early life. I thought the flashback scenes were done particularly well with some very dramatic moments and some very touching scenes between Sonja and the young Ove. The performance by the actor playing the young Ove was terrific and I thought the actress playing Sonja was well-cast as well. The scenes between them were some of my favourites in the whole film – believable, tender and heart-warming.

The screenplay focused on some of the best humorous moments from the book and (thankfully) dropped some of the more repetitive elements (including my personal bugbear, the Saab jokes). The film wisely concentrated on the growing friendship and mutual respect between Ove and Parveneh, rather than trying to bring in the whole cast of characters from the book.   The location was well-chosen, emphasising the proximity of the houses in the little community.

The Verdict

The film is well-crafted with excellent performances and brings out the best of the humour of the book. I felt the film was particularly good at conveying the story of the young Ove and his relationship with Sonja. I still found it difficult to see the transition from the young Ove to the embittered curmudgeon but I felt the director and the actor playing Ove managed to humanise the older Ove a little more than in the book.

Overall, I preferred the film to the book because it contained more of those elements of the book I liked and the humour seemed sharper and, basically, funnier.   It will be interesting to see how the recently announced US remake of the film, set to star Tom Hanks, compares both to the Swedish version and the original book.

What do you think? Have you read the book or seen the film?