The Man on the Train
Ressha ni notta otoko
Directed by:
Patrice LeconteCinematography:
Jean-Marie DreujouComposer:
Pascal EstèveCast:
Jean Rochefort, Johnny Hallyday, Jean-François Stévenin, Edith Scob, Maurice Chevit, Véronique Kapoyan, Riton Liebman, Charlie Nelson (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Milan (Hallyday), a thief, steps off the train in a small town in the French Alps where he plans to rob a local bank. By chance, after he is unable to find a room for the night, he encounters Manesquier (Rochefort), a retired poetry teacher whose sedentary lifestyle bores even himself. Sharing nothing in common except important plans for the weekend, one is to rob a bank and the other is to go in for open-heart surgery the two men begin talking and soon develop a respect for one another, as well as a secret longing to live the type of lifestyle the other lives. And, as the friendship grows even stronger, each man defies his personality to explore his yearning for the life of the other. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
I always love a good old French movie. When I was young, all I kept watching were comedies, but my friend Enšpígl introduced me to a whole number of rough crime movies that are a must-see for any movie buff. At that point, I realized that the French could do quite a lot back in the day. They could make you laugh, but they could also stiffen you with a mere look of the eyes. And all that was wrapped in the idea of friendship that you seldom get to see today. The Man on the Train is a pure gem in this respect because it strives to be like the good old crime movies. It drags forward slowly, it puts emphasis on two protagonists, incites emotions, but never too hard. The movie simply flows. Maybe I would have appreciated a bit more emphasis on eye play, which is something French cinematographers used to excel at. On the other hand, it’s great to see that there is still somebody in France these days who loves 1970’s and 1980’s French flicks.
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Gallery (29)
Photo © 2003 Paramount Classics
