This negative episode of Micro Reviews is brought to you by the director Sidney Lumet, who connects these two films together with his previous, superior work.
Frank Serpico:
Frankly, I’m disappointed—both in the documentary and myself for such pun. I went into Frank Serpico expecting to learn about its titled man outside what director Sidney Lumet’s film Serpico portrays. Instead, about 80% of the documentary is focused on either events presented in Serpico or the film’s creation. It’s not until the last fifteen minutes that the documentary finally details Serpico’s life after being a cop—and it is fascinating material, but an hour and twenty minutes too late.
Murder on the Orient Express:
If you are going to remake a very good film made by a great director, you better have a damn good game plan.
Sidney Lumet’s 1974 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s detective novel Murder on the Orient Express is delightfully charming fun. Despite being a murder-mystery, Lumet refuses to give the story an overly serious tone. The film is sprinkled with witty black comedy, turning a story about gruesome murders into lighthearted, exuberant entertainment.
Director Kenneth Branagh—who also stars as his adaptation’s protagonist—goes for a more serious approach with his version. There are still a few lighthearted moments here, but they are far fewer and less witty. Branagh opts for a traditional murder-mystery tone—adding thriller elements and action scenes to “spice up” the plot. Its protagonist Hercule Poirot—the world's greatest detective—appears much less confident and in control than he did in the 1974 version (possibly a way to add to the film’s suspense). Even the ending is redesigned with a bleaker, weaker tone to the original’s satisfyingly unique end results. The outcome of Branagh’s adaptation is a far more generic story with less colorful characters and a less impressive protagonist.
