The Railway Man

it initially started as a silly romance, before turning into what could have been an interesting exploration of post-war PTSD. early on though all of that turned out to be a lame wrapper story for a tale of heroics on behalf of a british engineering squad and against the imperial japanese army. throw in a revenge twist too. a bit of a mess. this is pretty much a metaphor for the reconciliation of japanese-allied relations, but surely reconciliation should consider the atrocities of both parties?

'The Railway Man' does kind of gets it message across in the end, but it has to be said Teplitzky makes a real meal of it in doing so. Solid performances from all and some nice photography help save a desperately imbalanced story that never quite gets to grips with the characters trauma, conflict and search for catharsis. The result is a off-kilter experience that doesn't quite focus itself enough to be either truly powerful or insightful.

True story or not, this movie failed to create characters with depth. Yes, he was a railway enthusiast, and yes, he underwent some shit as a British p.o.w. in WWII, but there's not much more to glean from this movie. And what a waste of Kidman. Otherwise, it had nice cinematography.

Like so many war films, this relies on cheap and unearned shock to get a rise out of viewers (in this case water boarding etc.) without saying anything meaningful about warfare or suffering for that matter.

It didn’t really grab me, and Nicole Kidman’s character never felt very important. But it had some good performances and a really touching ending that made up for it.

Whilst the subject of this movie prevents the use of the word "love", RM is a totally gripping story, propelled by uniformly superb acting, and will be a film that long stays in my memory. Irvine is simply brilliant at playing a totally convincing "younger" Lomax, as is Sanada, giving a wonderfully nuanced portrayal of the older Japanese officer. RM is a story of humanity, redemption, and forgiveness, played out in the drab 80's of Northern Britain, but with real heart and compassion. Must see

It retells a small part of the brutality inflicted on Allied prisoners of war by the Japanese during the Second World War and how one man came to terms with his experiences. It's good, difficult to watch, and well acted. Slow pace though. Worth a look.

Musty and medicinal.

great true story and amazing, but the ending will not be resolute, it will be 50/50 if you agree with him or not. personally i say revenge and for that i score this lower then what it should be. great emotion with perfect cast

ger; [the railway man - die liebe seines lebens]; ein mann mit einer vorliebe für Züge hat scheinbar Probleme sich zu öffnen, bis er sich verliebt und die frau Erinnerungen an den Krieg hervor holt.; (siehe Film "how to end all wars");

The Railway Man told a wonderful story and if I had read the book I would have enjoyed it immensely. It doesn't really translate to film that well. Colin Firth once again reprises his role as an unfeeling Englishman who just below the blankness actually has feelings. Stellan Skarsgard is the standout performance in this movie. I found myself drawn in at times but then was turned off by how the story was played out on film. I don't think the violence fit a film of this caliber.

The post-war "confront your oppressor" storyline feels like one I've seen a couple of times before - though it's pretty well done here. Firth and Sanada are really up to this meaty dramatic material. Where the film derails, sadly, is in the long build-up. The 1980s-set quaint British romance segment just doesn't connect well to the wartime flashbacks or Firth's Japanese visit. It's almost 2 or 3 unconnected films in one. Also, a bit too strong on the orange/sepia look, what's going on there?

2015/08/28

A compelling character study that revolves around the idea of guilt and forgiveness. The simplicity of the story is, in my opinion, it's strength; as well as the performances, which were all pretty decent.

A movie that made quite an impression on me ... http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be/2014/07/the-railway-man-2013.html

Prepare to have your heart and your guts ripped out...

Film would have been better if he'd butchered the Japanese man like a hog, made good his escape from Thailand, got home to find Nicole Kidman welcoming him back standing in a see through negligee. As it falls to the floor she is singing Rule Britannia. They then later fly out to Japan, find the man's ashes, kick them over and dance around in them singing Roll out the Barrel. Roll Credits. If anyone would like to financially back my remake please contact me here

This film kept me captivated from start to finish, its not going to win any awards but the flashbacks to Singapore are dramatic, well acted and quite disturbing! Worth a watch.

1265: i expect more !

A classic take on war, forgiveness, and the human condition. I wouldn't call it a bad movie but it's just not very interesting.

Very good acting in this movie. This is a very deep and moving story about torture and forgiving. I loved the pacing, but it maybe too slow for some people.

Powerful rendition of a semi-fictional story about a WWII atrocity in SE Asia.

beautiful & very touching PTSD story ruined by poor directing and the worst screen chemistry ever...

The first hour can drag - I'm not sure the transitions between present-day "train enthusiast" Firth and WWII POW Firth ever quite gelled as well as you'd hope - but things worked out well by movie's end, with a genuinely touching finale and some rousing, intense work from Firth and Sanada (his captor) along the way.

A solid story, well told and well acted.