David Suchet on the Orient Express (2010)

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.

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.

The title is self-explanatory: this 47-minute documentary focuses primarily on the Orient Express, but also tells us quite a bit about David Suchet himself. And it is actually still quite astonishing - not only for us, but also for the other passengers on the train! - to see - and hear - David Suchet as "himself", without the famous moustache, the characteristic Poirot voice, the French words and phrases dropped in nearly every sentence, etc; it shows how great an actor he is that he can make a transformation so complete. On the other hand, Suchet and Poirot do have some things in common: among them, is a love for all things elegant, tidy, high-class; Suchet recognized that he is lucky to be playing for so long a character whose surroundings usually have these qualities in abundance. Suchet also gets to live his boyhood dream - drive the Orient Express for a while. Speaking of the Orient Express, this documentary does a good job of putting it in a historical perspective: from a technological innovation at the turn of the 20th century to a symbol of glamor in the 1920s and from an outmoded relic after WWII to an icon of nostalgia in our days. This pleasant little film also includes a visit to one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice.

This documentary can be found on the "Murder on the Orient Express" DVD, part of Season 12 of the series, just released in the UK as Collection 8 (4 DVD set).It is an amusing and very entertaining visit of, and journey with the legendary "Orient Express" seen through the eyes of David Suchet himself.He enjoys this immensely and it shows. When invited to conduct one of the locomotives, he seems to genuinely turn into a child filled with dreams.We are shown the train, introduced to a couple of guests and the train staff, all chaperoned by Suchet himself.We are also reminded of the historic importance that it had throughout a Century, but most importantly, we are referred to Agatha Christie's journey to Istanbul, and how she came to be inspired to write her famous novel.We have already had a documentary about the "Orient Express", but this one is a very special look at this train, befitting the talents of an actor such as David Suchet.My compliments Mr. Suchet and thank you for the ride...