I am afraid that I have never been able to work up much enthusiasm for this series.And when I saw the production of "Murder on the Orient Express", it was appalling how bad it was.Of course seeing the 1974 movie to some extent spoiled it for me. But, even allowing for the fact that the movie had far more time and money to lavish on the production, I found this incredibly inferior and dull.I have seen modest productions that were better than ones on which far more money was thrown,because they had other redeeming qualities, better acting, etc. But not this.I found Suchet dull, compared to the witty Finney.And worse, the actors in this version didn't act like people in the 1930's, but like people of 2010 suddenly dropped into 1930.One glaring example.In a hotel lobby in Istanbul a man is walking around in vest and shirtsleeves.He sees Poirot, yells to him, and walks over to him with his hand stuck out saying that he has always wanted to meet him.He turns out to be a director of the Compagne International Des Wagons-Lit which operates the Orient Express.Not in a million years back then would this have happened.Not even with Americans, who had an exaggerated reputation for being brash and forward.A man in his position, particularly a European, would never have been walking around in public without his coat on.He NEVER would have yelled to a stranger and walked over like that.If he had been in the lobby, recognized Poirot, and badly wanted to meet him, and there was no one to introduce them, he would have handed his card to a bellboy and directed him to hand it to Poirot, with a request to have a word with him.The attitudes of everyone in the movie were far more authentic for the period.And that is a matter of acting, not money.
