Poirot all day.

I spent my day watching TV and knitting.  The knitting was pretty generic.  The TV was not.

A while ago, in conversation with my brother, we discussed which Murder On The Orient Express was our favourite.  I had not seen the new Branagh version and he had not seen the Suchet version.  We both had seen the old Albert Finney version many years ago.

He said the Finney version as available on Amazon Prime so I thought I would start there.  I watched it and the Branagh version a couple times now trying to do all three in one sitting, but it was only today, that I finally made it.  All three.

Each one has their merits.  The Branagh and Finney versions are good but the Suchet version is a tour de force of story, character and if you like Christie at all, the very best.  I think even she would have liked what he did with Poirot.  

Characters were across the board.  Suchet's Poirot is a masterclass in character acting. Both others give their Poirot this maniaical laugh that just feels so wrong.  It makes watching them unbearable.

 Mary Debdnham, performed by Jessica Chastain in the Suchet version is the best but she also has the best material.  Daisy Ridley does a good job but her part is not nearly as deep.  Michelle Pfeiffer was surprisingly my choice as Mrs. Hubbard.  The character was too much cartoonish in both other versions.

The Earl of Grantham gets my vote for best valet, but that is more a fondness for   Hugh Bonneville.  They all do a good job though, again the Branagh version gives the character the least depth.  Thd princess is an Eileen Atkins win.  She has mighty company but hers is the version that shines.

And no one beats Toby Jones as the bad guy, not even close .  Jones bad guy just vibrates with self centerdness.  Even in his bed time prayers he is only praying to get through the night.  He doesn't even begin to understand the notion that he ought to be looking for forgiveness.

The other characters are smaller parts but Jean Pierre Cassel, Anthony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman are just perfect in the Finney version.  The best smaller parts by far though I have to say Penelope Cruz is an honourable mention.  

I'm going to bed tonight and will listen to the book just to see how they stack up against the original.  I have read it before, but there may well be more to notice after all Poirot all day.

Update:
In a surprising turn of events, I did not have Murder on the Orient Express in my Audible library.  It is on my e reader.  So I had to chose between a Branagh read version, which would have given me a biased view, a Dan Stevens read version, and a drmatised version that looked good but wasn't quite what I wanted.  What I really needed was a Hugh Fraser version.  Oh well.  Dan Stevens for the win.