Rent The Man on the Train (2002)
3.6 of 5 from 178 ratings
1h 26min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- A mysterious stranger, Milan steps off a train in a place he has never been to before. Looking for a pharmacy to buy some aspirin for a raging headache, he comes across a retired school teacher, Manesquier. The two men are complete opposites. Or at least they seem to be. But each man realises that what he really always wanted is the life of the other man. This 'emotional relationship between two heterosexual men is such a difficult and unusual thing to dramatise - but Leconte brings it off with delicacy and persuasive charm,' write The Guardian.
- Actors:
- Jean Rochefort, Johnny Hallyday, Jean-François Stévenin, Charlie Nelson, Pascal Parmentier, Isabelle Petit-Jacques, Edith Scob, Maurice Chevit, Riton Liebman, Olivier Fauron, Véronique Kapoyan, Elsa Duclot, Armand Chagot, Michel Laforest, Alain Guellaff, Hélène Chambon, Sophie Durand, Jean-Louis Vey, Sébastien Bonnet, Jean-Jacques Cornillon
- Directors:
- Patrice Leconte
- Writers:
- Claude Klotz
- Aka:
- L'homme du train
- Studio:
- Pathe
- Genres:
- Comedy
- Collections:
- Remembering Donald Sutherland, Top 10 Films About Trains: Thrillers, Top 10 French-Language Remakes, Top Films
- Countries:
- France
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Reviews (3) of The Man on the Train
A well crafted character based film - The Man on the Train review by CP Customer
L'Homme Du Train revolves around a middle aged stranger who enters a provincial French town, and after arriving on the late train can't find a place to stay. He meets a local retired teacher who kindly offers him a place to stay for the night. The teacher is intrigued by the stranger, who seems to represent everything he wishes he could be, confident, tough, mysterious, and good looking. As the men share each others company, they soon develop a fascination for each others lifestyle, the stranger reveals he is actually a professional bank robber who is no longer excited by his risky occupation; the poetry teacher on the other hand craves to have some excitement in his dull life. Overall, it's a beautifully acted and well written story of two older men dealing with regret. The dialogue is both witty and tender, and the performances from Jean Rochefort and Johnny Hallyday are superb. The well paced story takes its time exploring each of the characters, and the result is convincing story with compelling characters. If you're a fan of French cinema then 'L'Homme Du Train' is an unmissable film.
4 out of 7 members found this review helpful.
Comedy? More Pathos. - The Man on the Train review by JD
Although the main plot is the bringing together of 2 very different men whose characters eventually cross into the others; much of the film is just an analysis of their personalities. I found it quite sad, and any comedy (as it is advertised) is very dark. I liked the unusualness of the ideas and the characters are extremely intriguing. Do all French films have a mistress in? Maybe it is a requirement. This one was a bored mistress. If you like the idea of French Pathos, strongly recommended.
2 out of 3 members found this review helpful.
Time-filler - The Man on the Train review by Alphaville
Two men meet – one a bank robber, the other a retired schoolteacher – and discover that each envies the other’s life. That’s about it, really. This 2002 film was well received at the time, but it would have made a better play than a movie. It has nowhere to go and basically just marks time.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.