Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Chirphymium
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
Kaydan Christian
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
bensonmum2
David Suchet on the Orient Express was aired in 2010 as an ITV documentary. It really wasn't as much a documentary as it was a promo for the upcoming Agatha Christie's Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express. And while the documentary is not without flaws, it fairs better than show it was designed to promote. Suchet boards the train in London and sets off for Prague. Along the way, we learn quite a bit about the fascinating history of the Orient Express. The documentary briefly touches on the train's beginnings, its role in WWI, its use by the Nazis in WWII, the snowdrifts that inspired Christie's book, and the restoration to its former glory beginning in the 1970s. I say the documentary briefly touches on these topics because most of the runtime is spent watching Suchet marvel at the many ornate and opulent splendors of the train. Suchet is a real delight. It's a pleasure watching him tour the kitchen, enjoy a drink, prepare for bed, and even drive the train. Suchet seems genuinely impressed and seems to be having a wonderful time. His joy in getting to drive the train is one of the highlights for anyone who is a Suchet fan. And the stories of the train and its little idiosyncrasies are a real treat to anyone who is fan of Christie's work. My only complaint is the number of instances where Suchet repeats himself. I realize that most of this was done because of commercial breaks during the original airing, but it gets annoying real quick. Also, while some history is presented, I wanted more. I'm sure there are other, more detailed documentaries out there. I just need to find them.Overall, not great, but entertaining enough to rate a 7/10.
bob the moo
It took till the penultimate season of ITV's Poirot before they made their version of Murder on the Orient Express, so understandably it was quite a star-studded affair and was delivered with a certain amount of fanfare and event. This film screened some time before it and I do not think that it is too cynical to note that at least some element of it was promotional in terms of linking to the main film. Another aspect of it must surely have been Suchet perhaps wanting to remind people that he is behind the character and is not just this one thing. The final thing it does is of course to serve as a documentary into the journey and history of the titular train.In terms of success the film is reasonably good at all of these things. As promotion for the main film, it is lovingly shot and makes frequent references to Christie and Poirot, and it does rather focus the mind on the setting for the film. As a piece to meet Suchet as himself, it is pretty good and he is a good presence in the film, however it must be said he is never as much of a presence nor as charismatic as the character he is most famous for – and occasionally doing the voice doesn't help this feeling. The documentary aspect is decent enough; mostly it is a travelogue and aside from the link to Poirot, it would sit well in those lazy scheduling slots where such celebrity-driven pieces are welcome. This is not to suggest that it doesn't have some nice detail and information in there, but it is never a documentary per se, and the delivery of facts and stories is never the focal point for very long, and the comparatively short running time doesn't help with this feeling either.It is distracting in a light-entertainment way, and it does serve as a promotional piece for the series, but as one not given to such things, I did not find it much more than this.
Gazebogo
Suchet is known for playing Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. I recommend reading _Murder on the Orient Express_ since the book will be mentioned. In this program, Suchet is our guide through the book, the characters and the most intriguing character--the actual train. We get to learn more about the train as he talks of various facts related to the Orient Express--from its storied past to its refurbished glory. If you have a wallet like mine, you can experience the extravagance of the Venice Simplon-Orient Express through this program. I love the joy that Suchet showed during his journey. He respected the history in a humble manner. As for the comment regarding a token employee, Suchet's porter is on the web site. He's on several pages within the web site. Also, Suchet did an abbreviated version of the trip (London to Venice). If you're independently wealthy, you can do the whole shebang that's mentioned in the book. This made me start saving for an abbreviated trip (Venice to Paris) and a pocket watch.
rec-5
It was difficult to follow David Suchet's route on the Orient Express.At one point, seemingly in Switzerland, we are told he was leaving Innsbruck (Austria) for the Austrian border. Then he is in Venice! Onward to Vienna (really?), he finishes in Prague, but not at Prague Main Station (Hlavní Nádraži), but at the out-of-the-way suburban Praha-Smíchov. What happened to Austria & Vienna? Did I miss something?On board, we have Suchet talking from the point-of-view of the fictional Poirot. Surely, this is supposed to be a documentary about the actual Orient Express. He speaks of Poirot's wonderful brain. Excuse me – Poirot is the successful invention of Agatha Christie. He mentions Christie's accurate descriptions, but despite her supposed frequent travelling on the train, 'Murder on the Orient Express' contains virtually nothing to reflect this, especially in relation to geography. Her Orient Express could have been stuck in a snow-drift near Maidstone in England for all the reader can tell.Misguidedly, because the Orient Express has the reputation of being an upper-class white preserve, Suchet has the token black attendant in an attempt to somehow "correct" matters. Let's hope the poor man was rewarded financially by the production company.An undemanding, inaccurate, and ultimately disappointing programme for middle-class readers of newspaper colour supplements and wool-over-the-eyes Suchet/Poirot fans, who undoubtedly will enjoy it. Good photography though.
