Johnny Kitties Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #59. City of Lies (2021)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

I really only wanted Johnny Depp for this role. I know there was a version of Russ Poole in someone else's hands that was just potentially boring, and uninteresting  – and I knew in Johnny's hands, that would never be the case. – Director Brad Furman

This is the guy you want on the case. 

Based on true events, City of Lies presents the intricate unsolved mystery around the murder of rapper Christopher Wallace – better known as the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls – who was gunned down at a stop light after leaving an event in Las Vegas in 1997, just months after the similar death of rapper Tupac Shakur. Based on the nonfiction book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, this film follows Detective Russell Poole (Johnny Depp) as he seeks and becomes obsessed with the truth – at the cost of his family, health and faith in the Los Angeles Police Department. 

Why is everyone shooting each other? 

City of Lies was a surprise release in 2021 that I found out about from Johnny himself when he publicized it on his Instagram account. (I could get used to this.) The movie was actually ready in 2018 but shelved days before it was supposed to be released. There are many theories why, but none provide a definitive explanation, so I will just take this sudden treat and forget about the drama around it. 

This is a fast-paced, intense movie that presents plenty of theories of its own about the murder of Biggie Smalls. Detective Russell Poole was hot on the trail but hit roadblock after roadblock as he discovered involvement and cover-up activities by several of his fellow police officers in the Los Angeles Police Department. He became so obsessed with cracking the case that he studied it for more than 20 years, until his death in 2019. 

The film was originally called LAbyrinth, after the book on which it's based, because that's what this investigation became. There are so many people involved, it took me a few viewings to track who they all were and why and how they took part. (I'm not sure I fully get it yet, but it doesn't matter.) 

To help us along, Forest Whitaker plays an invented character, Darius "Jack" Jackson, a journalist who reported wrongly on the murder when it happened and is now trying to correct his past mistakes. He seeks out Detective Poole hoping to figure things out together. "Jackson is a made-up character, but he's the kind of made-up character that's necessary because Poole's going through something very serious and very intense, and he's got no one to turn to," Johnny says. 

This is not a spoiler: The murders of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur remain unsolved. Despite the subject matter being more than 20 years old, the topic is extremely relevant today. Director Brad Furman hopes City of Lies will peak enough curiosity to keep the investigation going. 

Was this one worth the wait?

Of course, my answer is yes! 

City of Lies is like a mix of documentary and film noir styles. Director Brad Furman strove to give it a more realistic feel, and I think he succeeds. It starts off with a bang, literally – a case of seemingly unrelated L.A. road rage – and doesn't let up. It's dark, gritty and uses footage of actual news reports and interviews about Christopher Wallace's murder. In fact, his mother Voletta participated in one of the movie's scenes. The director read LAbrynth years ago and wanted to make the movie but wouldn't do so without the approval of both Wallace and Shakur families. He got it. And, with the untimely death of Russell Poole before production began, everyone involved with this film was committed to getting the message and story right for the real families involved. They still seek resolution and peace.

I was also really excited about Johnny and Forest Whitaker working together in City of Lies, so many years after their first movie together, Platoon. Apparently, they were keen about this chance, 32 years later! Most of their scenes were tense, argumentative and confrontational, as they pushed each throughout the investigation. "For me, Jackson is the alter ego of Poole, but mostly the pessimistic side. Mostly, Poole is facing a side of him that he is not and refuses to be, and Jackson is looking at a version of himself that he could never be," Johnny says. "He doesn't have that purity, that belief that you can make a difference – one man." 

These two actors also work differently, as the director explains, "Forest  had a lot of questions and wanted a lot of things from me that Johnny just wasn't asking. They have very different approaches and my hope and goal was that that would create some time of energy on screen that would be exciting for us to watch." The rest of the cast is full of fantastic character actors, who matched their energy and created a fitting murky, volatile atmosphere for them. Two standouts for me are Glen Plummer as Psycho Mike and Rockmond Dunbar as Dreadlocks. (They both have good hair.) 

These days (and, really, always), I love seeing Johnny work without any accent or elaborate costume or disguise. It's in these kinds of roles that his talent as an actor really comes through clearly. Writer Randall Sullivan knows what I'm talking about: "When I watched the film, it really struck me more than it ever has that film actors have to be masters of such subtle expression. I mean, a lot of acting is done with the eyes. Johnny was really able to convey a lot of deep emotion that brought Russ back to me with a pretty stoic – apparently stoic – demeanor." 

Here, Johnny plays an average, good guy whose work has taken over his life. I can see why he connected to this role of someone who will go to extremes to get to the truth. As the director explains, "I felt, in getting to know Johnny, there was a real innocence....He's a big believer in just truth and justice, simplicity. And, when you take all that, and you understand that he looks at it through this innocent lens, I felt that the role of Russell Poole fit just like a glove...I believe Johnny felt a real deep connection to the material and his fight for truth and justice. That was something we talked a lot about on Day 1." 

True to form, Johnny did exhaustive research and met with the director for hours that day, during which they connected on everything from the book and character to life and music, in general. As usual, he added his own personal touches, including friends Joe Perry on the soundtrack and activist Killer Mike in a scene. 

Russell Poole steadfastly believed in the Homicide Investigator's Creed, which he taped to his desk: "No greater honor will ever be bestowed on an officer than when he is entrusted with the investigation of the death of a human being. It is his duty to find the facts regardless of color and creed." After being shut out by his fellow officers during the investigation, he quit weeks before his retirement, but continued the work on his own. He lost his family over his obsession with the truth and worked at it until the day he died. "It's shocking that the truth can actually be buried if a couple of powerful institutions want to collaborate to do it, but it leaves the people who know the truth in an unbearable situation because they can't unknow that truth," Writer Randall Sullivan says. "To live with the fact that it's being buried, in Russel Poole's case, it just sort of killed him day by day."

The Kitties are on the case now. 

In this movie, I loved watching Forest Whitaker and Johnny in their tense scenes and how thoroughly Russell Poole worked to put the pieces together to solve his case. Here, our Kitties, Walter and Gordon, depict one of their fights, an argument that questions Detective Poole's integrity. That's not the right thing to question because you can see how his apartment was consumed by his work everywhere you look. He was connecting the dots all over the walls.

What's next? 

I'm still waiting to see Johnny as war photographer W. Eugene Smith in Minamata, which was supposed to be released last February 5 but wasn't. Is this some strange new Hollywood publicity tactic? It's okay. I'm game for another surprise movie treat. Minamata won't be any happier than City of Lies, but I'll be happy to see it whenever it shows up. Stay tuned.... 

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #58. Waiting for the Barbarians (2019)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

"So, to me, Joll is a series of very strong protective walls he's built to ward off feeling, to escape feeling. I mean, what does he do when he's alone? He may weep in a closet. I don't know. To me he seemed like he was ready to pounce on anything that penetrated his armor. I think Joll is, in a sense, a victim on his own." Johnny Depp on Colonel Joll

"He was very charming and across the camera was very present and focused. A lovely person to act with. He brings up a kind of great vulnerability." Mark Rylance on Johnny Depp

Why are we waiting for barbarians?

The daily routines of a magistrate (Mark Rylance) managing an isolated outpost of an unnamed empire is disrupted by a visit from Colonel Joll (Johnny Depp), who demands a report on the current state of affairs amid growing concerns of an impending uprising by the local nomads or — as the colonel refers to them — the barbarians. His cruel interrogation tactics toward them makes the magistrate question his loyalty to the empire over his conscience. Director Ciro Guerra's Waiting for the Barbarians is a thought-provoking film based on the 1980 novel, written and adapted by Nobel laureate J.M. Coetzee. 

I haven't read this novel, but both Johnny and Mark Rylance immediately connected to the story's relevance. "The shocking thing for me, which was the beacon that stayed there, was the fact that it felt all true and relevant to today in many ways in a lot of different places in the world," Johnny explains. "Power begets power, and there are those who decide who follows or who is disposable or unnecessary, and all those decisions are made by the people at the top." Mark Rylance adds, "The way the novel can be extrapolated to almost any circumstance in the world, to any point in history, is staggering." 

Who are the real barbarians here? 
Because of the pandemic, Waiting for the Barbarians was released to streaming services, and I ended up watching it at my desk on my iMac. I prefer a trip to a movie theater for the big screen, but it was nice to be able to prepare my own snacks (hot chocolate and strawberries) and click play on YouTube whenever I was ready. 

I was afraid to watch this movie because I already unintentionally saw headlines of mixed reviews that praised Johnny's terrifying performance. But that didn't stop me. Not only did I watch it, but I liked it! Of course, I prefer no cruelty or torture, but as a whole, I liked the look and feel of everything else in this film. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Chris Menges, it's got a meditative, slow pace and a great soundtrack by Giampiero Ambrosi to match.

The movie opens to this pulsating beat in an expansive desert, following a lone carriage surrounded by soldiers on  horseback.  Colonel Joll, a member of the police from the Bureau of State Security, has arrived at this random outpost to question the magistrate and locals about the current state of affairs. 

Johnny is sinister and stoic with a steadfast frown here: He has always been great at expressing everything with a look rather than a word, and this performance is a good example. He does have some great lines, but mostly, he instills fear by just looking official and menacing. With a nod or other minor gesture, he can get his underlings to spring into action. 

"I find the most interesting thing about bad guys throughout history, or characters like Joll, is that people don't wake up in the morning and decide while they are shaving: 'I'm going to be the meanest or worst human being. I'm going to cause as much havoc as possible,'" Johnny explains. "No, for me, playing Joll, he seemed very different to me than a bad guy. That felt like it would have been too easy. If you try to think about how a man like that is built, how he is turned, how a man like this arrives at that place: Is it really to be without emotion; is it sociopathy or psychopathy? Or is there somewhere in that guy that harbors a broken child in there or that has been hammered into a shape by his father or mother in his upbringing?"

Colonel Joll is a stark contrast to the magistrate, wonderfully portrayed by Mark Rylance. This quiet, thoughtful observer is kind, gentle and respectful toward the natives. Having witnessed the unnecessary pain and suffering that Colonel Joll inflicts on the locals without any real cause, you see the magistrate's frustration grow. The Colonel's explanation — "Pain is truth; all else is subject to doubt." — just doesn't cut it. As Colonel Joll's crew disturbs the peace and leaves the outpost in ruins, the magistrate's loyalty sides with the locals. It's a good thing, too, because these nomads will eventually get it together. 

I like that there's so little action in this movie that it's hard for me to describe. For example, one scene shows the magistrate falling asleep after hours of washing a local woman's injured feet with warm water. Watching this movie, I could focus on and see what the characters were thinking. How often does that happen?

The Kitties will put a stop to any barbaric behavior.

The best part of Colonel Joll is his cool shades. Johnny describes them: "When Ciro came up with the shape, they were threatening, menacing, somehow; and the fact that he wouldn't take them off, he would make the magistrate as uncomfortable as possible. He learnt some tricks over the years. Calmness, stillness and quiet, and holding your response to a question can be quite disturbing to the person on the other side of you. They are levels of maintaining the armor." 

Check out this sketch by production designer/set decorator Crispain Sallis. "Through that characterization, [Johnny] cut Colonel Joll back to the absolute bone, making any additional theatrical flourishes, such as the glasses or the swagger stick, things to absolutely relish," he explains. 

In my own illustration, I'm not sure the shades come across quite as menacing, but Colonel Joll (Gordon) also accessorizes his uniform with a golden hammer that he considers using to beat up the next barbarian. (Did I mention he's not a nice guy?) This is the only moment where Colonel Joll manages a slight smirk, pleased with the fear-induced power he has over these nomads. When the magistrate (Comet) speaks up, pointing out his evil ways, Colonel Joll's face and stance stiffen and his frown returns. Don't worry, Comet didn't get hurt in the making of this illustration. (Also, I realized after I finished this drawing that the uniforms are a deep navy color — not black — but it all depends on the sunlight, right?)

Check out this Crock of Gold!

In other exciting Johnny news, be sure to catch Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, a documentary that Johnny produced about his friend and frontman of the Pogues. It is available now in the United States and Canada for viewing on home digital platforms and DVD. Additional worldwide releases are coming later this month. I am getting ready to watch it with the volume up. 

What's next? 
Look at me, all caught up with Johnny Kitties! Mark your calendars for February 5 to see Johnny as war photographer W. Eugene Smith in Minamata. I am pacing the floors for this one. 

All photos © Samuel Goldwin Films, except the glasses sketch, courtesy of Crispain Sallis, and the Crock of Gold poster, courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. 

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #57. The Professor (2018)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

"The Professor is a quirky comedy of sorts – stark, enchanting, funny, tragic. It's rare to see comedies that tackle the subject of death." Danny Houston

"Accepting one's mortality and the fact that we're going to die shouldn't be a depressing thing." Wayne Roberts

"May we forever remember that in each and every moment, we are composing the stories of our lives. Let's aim to make it a meaningful read or at least an interesting one." Richard Brown (Johnny Depp)

Life is what you make of it. 

After learning that he has terminal lung cancer and maybe six months to live, Professor Richard Brown (Johnny Depp) realizes that he has no time to waste and spends the rest of it teaching his last students to say what they mean, live however they want, and make the most out of life. Taking his own advice, Richard speaks without a filter, indulges in his whims, and creates his own path toward the exit. Through The Professor, writer/director Wayne Roberts poses tough questions and makes bold statements to remind us that death is an important part of life.

The Professor got a failing grade. 

Typically, I don't look for or read movie reviews before I see them – especially for movies I'm looking forward to seeing. Reviews affect my own opinions: Once I read them, I can't forget what was said while I'm watching the movie. In the case of The Professor, the reviews found me and most of them were bad. The sentiment was so universal that the movie was never properly released in theaters in the United States. Instead, it went straight to DVD in 2019. 

I only read a couple of these bad reviews before I decided to deduce the opinions from just the headlines. Some reviewers made the unfair comparison of Richard's behavior to Johnny's own, so I stopped reading and waited to see this thing for myself. 

I see what they mean, but...

Maybe it was because of the reviews, but I didn't like The Professor at first. He and his wife are so mean to each other. He is bad at his job and doesn't care. He's a bad influence on his students. He's making bad choices. Is this really what people think Johnny is doing in his own life? How dismal. 

What I find so jarring is that Richard's choices of how to spend the rest of his days are so different from what I would think to do, but that's probably the point. Anyone who finds out that they are going to die soon probably assumes that they should do whatever they feel like doing in the moment. In Richard's case, that includes drugs, infidelity, and a bender in the middle of the week. 

...The Professor has some good points.

I warmed up to The Professor because there are also moments of reflection, clarity and purpose. In fact, it made me cry by the end, which has got to mean something. 

Like most Johnny movies, The Professor has a great beginning. In the opening scene, Richard is in the doctor's office getting the bad news – a terminal diagnosis and only a few months to live. For the next few minutes that span the rest of his day, the news sinks in and Richard is lost in thought about what it means. Johnny is so good at saying so much without saying anything, but Richard shares his distress and anger every once in a while with a single repeated curse word, expressed in a variety of ways. It's both funny and sad.

I also love the elements that glue this movie together – the structure and soundtrack, the cinematography and scenery, and the script and cast. 

• 
  The Professor is divided into chapters that reflect Richard's thought process: For example, Chapter 1 is I Have Something To Say and Chapter 3 is I'm Really Going to Die. I like how these titles set the tone for the next scenes. 
• Also setting the tone is a great soundtrack that includes refreshing classical and comforting Motown. 
• Filmed in Vancouver, The Professor is full of beautiful shots, highlighting impressive architecture, sets, and scenery that makes me want to plan a vacation there. Given the grim start and Richard's resulting irreverence, I appreciate having something pretty to look at. 
• Unorthodox behavior aside, Richard offers plenty of worthwhile lessons about not letting life pass by unnoticed. 
• 
  This great cast, including Rosemarie DeWitt, Danny Houston, Odessa Young, and Zoey Deutch, seem wholly invested in capturing the balance between life and death, and it's clear that they are having fun doing it. "Johnny's just so alive and present and real in every moment," says Devon Terrell (who plays student Danny). "It's so brilliant to be in a scene with someone who is so kind of almost animalistic in a way that something's going to happen in every moment. You just didn't know what."

I love seeing the relationship between Richard and his best friend Peter (Danny Houston). Danny Houston's performance is my favorite in this movie, maybe because I would likely react the same way to the news of a friend's (or Johnny's) impending death. Apparently, the feeling was mutual: "My experience with Johnny was love at first sight," Danny Houston says. "I don't know if we're playing into what's required for the characters of the piece or whether it's truly heartfelt, but at the moment, it feels absolutely real." I also related to Richard's bond with his daughter Olivia (Odessa Young). In the end, their goodbye is what brought me to tears. (The original title of this movie was Richard Says Goodbye, which makes more sense to me.) 

I'm not sure The Professor deserves all the bad reviews it got. Sometimes, it lays it on thick that life should not be wasted, but is that such a bad message? The humor might be lost on some people because of the seriousness of this subject, but I appreciate the attempt to take the sting out of death. The Professor suggests that we should not be afraid of death but let it help us focus on a well-lived life, there is no time like the present to make changes and do what we need to do, and when the time comes, we should go out however we want. These are themes Johnny has always seemed to live by, so I'm not surprised that he connected to this character. This story may have struck close to home too: The Professor is dedicated to Johnny's mom, who died of lung cancer in 2016.  

The Kitties get it. 

When thinking of how The Kitties could represent The Professor, one scene kept coming back to me. Most of the movie shows Richard indulging in his vices, telling people what he really thinks, imparting words of wisdom to his students, or saying goodbye to those he loves. But in this scene, Richard is alone, dealing with his own thoughts and pain. Maybe I'm reading too much into this moment, but it seems like Richard is realizing that this is really happening, that it's out of his control, and it's something bigger than everything else. He looks up toward the sky, as church bells toll in the background, and it cuts to Chapter 4, titled, It's Really Starting to Kick In. Maybe I'm not too far off. 

I was also struck by the interesting stark angles and textures in this shot of someone huddled in a space with jagged rock, aged wood, and hard tile. It's an uncomfortable but pretty space. 

What's next? 

In Waiting for the Barbarians, Johnny plays a colonel who doesn't have to say much to instill fear in innocent people, waving his misguided authority around with a fancy golden hammer. 

All film images © Global Road Entertainment; illustration © Melissa Connolly

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #55. Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

"I became addicted to watching these animated films when my kids were little....Well, cartoons break all the laws, don't they? That's the beauty – seeing those parameters broken and trying to figure out a way to break the parameters of cinema in that same way, so that a character can be potentially accepted in the same way Wile E. Coyote is when he gets crushed by a boulder and they cut to him with a little bandage on his head." Johnny Depp

Sherlock's on the case. 

When garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet (James McAvoy and Emily Blunt), their families, and friends move from Stratford Upon Avon to London, they struggle to adjust to their new home. After an argument leads them out of their yard, Gnomeo and Juliet return to find it empty and ruined. In this sequel to 2011's Gnomeo & Juliet, they help Sherlock Gnomes and Dr. Watson (Johnny Depp and Chiwetel Ejiofor) rescue all the missing garden gnomes in London, including those closest to their hearts. 

I love happy surprises.

It occurred to me the week before Sherlock Gnomes was released that I should see Gnomeo & Juliet first; luckily, I found it on TV. While it's clearly for little kids, I thought it was really cute. I loved its spin on Shakespeare's tale, and I was shocked to discover its great cast – including Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, Michael Caine, and Maggie Smith – let alone that Elton John produced and provided a bunch of music for it. How did I miss this one? 

When Sherlock Gnomes came out, I had become recently unemployed because of unexpected budget cuts and project delays at my newest job. Johnny came to my rescue, as usual, lifting my spirits with this silly and sweet sequel. Out of nowhere was an online article offering free tickets to a preview of Sherlock Gnomes at a local theater. I'll take it! 

By the time I arrived, a line of mostly parents and well-behaved kids had already formed, but once in the theater, I slid into the second row, which was full of adults who were there at their own will. I guessed that they were either Johnny fans or movie critics. That night, this cartoon really made me laugh with some funny lines from friends Benny (Matt Lucas) and Nanette (Ashley Jensen) and Sherlock's arch-nemesis Moriarty (Jamie Demetriou). When I saw it again at home to work on Johnny Kitties, I didn't laugh as often (maybe because I was more focused on finding the inspiration for my illustration), and I thought that Moriarty's evil plan was just that. 

Still, I really appreciated the film's message about the importance of prioritizing family and friendship over everything else. I enjoyed meeting new characters too, including Sherlock's old flame Irene (Mary J. Blige). This film has plenty of funny, vivid moments: I liked seeing London, including Chinatown and various galleries, from the gnome perspective on their adventure in the city. "London offers so many great scenarios in so many different locations that it seemed it'd be great to use London as a backdrop," producer Elton John says. "It's a love letter to London, really." Of course, I also loved all the Elton John songs and special gnome-style appearances. 

Apparently, Elton and Johnny are old friends. (Of course they are.) Elton asked Johnny to join this cast and sent him the script. "I didn't expect the script to make me laugh out loud," Johnny says. He and director John Stevenson worked collaboratively throughout the recording sessions, improvising and adding more humor wherever they could. For his fun performance, which was recorded in 2015, Johnny was inspired by his favorite Sherlock, Basil Rathbone. "There have been so many variations of the character of Sherlock Holmes," he says. "I wanted him to sound as if he were pointed very sharp, that he was sharp-angled. His brilliance came out of clumsiness in a way. I wanted Sherlock's voice to be like a razor blade. It could cut through anything annoying – anything he found annoying." I hear it!

The Kitties peak into Sherlock's mind.

All of the Lucky Cats in the Chinatown scenes would have been a fitting choice, but my favorite scenes in Sherlock Gnomes invited us viewers into Sherlock's mind. These detailed black-and-white scenes were a refreshing contrast to reality and showed how Sherlock processed information from the outside world. I laughed when Sherlock lost interest in Gnomeo's ideas and floated into a daydream until he stopped talking. We've all been there, done that. Here are Ryo-oh-ki, Tyrone, and Mew as Dr. Watson, Gnomeo, and Juliet while Gordon, as Sherlock, imagines where he'd rather be right now. 

What's next? I am pacing the floors, waiting to see Johnny in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which will be released next Friday, November 16! See you there! 

All images © Paramount Pictures and Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Inc., Pictures; illustration © Melissa Connolly

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #54. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

Happy birthday, Johnny!

Johnny Depp, Murder on the Orient Express premiere, 2017

"This is a group that really got on. The rapport and chemical connection between all of these people was significant – unusual in my experience – and they worked together very well as a team, handing everybody their moment." Director Kenneth Branagh

Everybody, watch your back. 
This remake of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery, Murder on the Orient Express, boast an all-star cast and beautiful scenery. Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) boards the glamorous train with an eye on a vacation, but he ends up leading an investigation on board after a passenger is brutally murdered overnight. When an avalanche blocks the train on the tracks in the snowy mountains, everyone is trapped with the murderer on board. Don't worry, the world's greatest detective is on the case.  

I had a plan. 
When this movie came out, I had a lot of unexpected things going on in my life. I just finished a rushed job search to avoid an expected layoff situation. I got a new job before that happened but struggled to adjust to everything about it. All of my daily routines were thwarted for months, and I was still struggling to create new ones. Johnny couldn't have shown up at a better time to cheer me up over Veteran's Day weekend!

"I do remember reading Agatha Christie books as a kid and loving them," Johnny Depp says. "The detail with which she approaches her books and these characters and her observations is astonishing."

I've never read any Agatha Christie books, but I know Detective Hercule Poirot is a beloved recurring character in many of them. When I saw the 1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express years ago, I didn't understand the appeal of this goofy detective with his ridiculous mustache, over-the-top quirks and accent, and odd behavior. He doesn't fit in with any of the people around him, but maybe that's the point: he views the world differently, and that makes him the world's greatest detective. I think he's starting to grow on me. I rewatched the 1974 version recently and liked it better, but I also fell asleep. In any case, in this updated version, I was more interested in Johnny's character, Edward Ratchett. 

Per my usual weekend routine, I stayed up too late Friday night and got up too early Saturday morning to walk over to yoga class. I walked home to drop off my yoga mat, change my clothes, and eat a quick breakfast.  Then, I walked quickly to get to the theater. I had 5 minutes to spare until the next showing, and only one seat was available – in the front row. I considered this fate, took it, and got popcorn. 

About 30 seconds into the movie, an alarm went off in the theater, telling everyone to evacuate the building. We stood outside in the cold November sunshine, eating our warm popcorn until we were let back in without any explanation. When we got back in our seats, the movie resumed where it had left off – but with only the sound working and not the picture. By then, I reacted with a huff that made the person sitting next to me laugh. (I was thinking that this whole experience represented the highs and lows of my employment adventure.) A staff member came in to tell us that the movie would start over in a few minutes. By then, my popcorn was half gone.

The last time I saw Johnny at the movies was in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. In that movie, Captain Jack first appears more drunk than usual, and it made me sad because I immediately and irrationally thought of all the gossip I'd been reading about Johnny's real-life personal problems, and I wondered how he was really doing. This time, when Johnny showed up as Edward Rachett, a mobster arriving to board the Orient Express, hearts were shooting out of my eyeballs. He looked like a movie star! The look made me think of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca! This role reminded me of Johnny's fantastic turn in Public Enemies. I loved the scars on his face. I loved the accent. I loved the clothes. I loved everything!!!

But I fell asleep – right at the end when they reveal the murderer!

Let's see this movie again. 
Netflix sent me Murder on the Orient Express as soon as it was released on DVD. This time, I had no trouble staying awake, and I loved it for many reasons. 

• I was thrilled when I heard Johnny was involved with this project because it was to be directed by and star Kenneth Branagh. I couldn't wait to see them act together. They only have one scene, but I'll take it. Shooting the scene resulted in several versions full of improvised moments. "I wanted him in awe," Kenneth Branagh says. "For me, it was a master class to be had as an actor and director – watching actors of tremendous technical accomplishment, clear charisma, and fine talent. To have somebody of Johnny's stature come in and so generously play this darker character, and see him enjoying playing it. And, across a day and a half of improvisation, to really feel his freedom in front of the camera was quite intoxicating to watch and to play with. There was nothing you could do improvising that would throw him." 

• My favorite part of this movie isn't even fully in it. On the DVD, however, you can find the extended scene, during which all of the characters are introduced and board the train. It's one continuous shot that follows Hercule Poirot from the bazaar across the street, to the train station, to the ticket agent, onto the train, and down its slim corridor, where he meets various passengers on the way to his bunk. I loved how it was choreographed. Well done, director!

• I was excited to hear about all the other great people who signed on for this movie: Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, and Willem Dafoe had all worked with Johnny before, and I liked the idea of this reunion. Also, hearing that Derek Jacobi was in the cast made me nearly as excited as Kenneth Branagh. Everyone is fantastic, and all of these interesting characters have full backstories. The film feels like a play with this ensemble cast confined to the space of the train. Everyone seemed to work well together, and no one stole the spotlight. By all accounts, this was a happy set and it shows – except during the murder scene.

The kitties did it. 

I couldn't decide on one scene to highlight from this film, so this illustration is a compilation. I loved when Edward Rachett (Johnny Depp/Gordon) opened some mirrored cabinets and stared at himself for a few seconds. I imagined he was reflecting on whatever he'd done, and I liked seeing all the angles. The threatening letter is revealed in a different scene. Also, I wanted to include a few of my other favorite people, so here Edward Masterman (Derek Jacobi/Comet) brings Mr. Rachett his coffee while Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh/B.J.) and Caroline Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer/The Mother Kitty) lurk outside his doorway.

Johnny's also busy rocking! 
These days, you can catch Johnny on tour with his band, Hollywood Vampires. I saw online that – obviously for me – he's singing David Bowie's "Heroes" during the shows! (You heard me right: he's singing it, up front!) Check out the tour schedule for a venue near you. 

What's next? 
In March, Johnny was in theaters lending his voice to Sherlock Gnomes, a cute sequel to Gnomeo and Juliet. The DVD will be out soon, so the kitties and I will get to work. 

Image credits: Johnny Depp photo ©  John Phillips/Getty Images; all film images © 20th Century Fox; illustration © Melissa Connolly