Directed by:
Jonathan TeplitzkyCinematography:
Garry PhillipsComposer:
David HirschfelderCast:
Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Irvine, Stellan Skarsgård, Sam Reid, Hiroyuki Sanada, James Fraser, Tom Hobbs, Ewen Leslie, Marta Dusseldorp, Peter Tuinstra (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
War drama adapted from Eric Lomax's memoirs about his experiences in a POW camp. While serving in the Second World War, British Army officer Eric Lomax (Jeremy Irvine) is captured and held prisoner by the Japanese. He is brutally tortured and forced, along with his fellow captives, to build the Thai-Burma Railway. Many years later an older Lomax (Colin Firth) is still traumatised by the experience. Supported by his wife Patti (Nicole Kidman) and friend Finlay (Stellan Skarsgard), he decides to track down one of his torturers, Takashi Nagase (Hiroyuki Sanada), hoping to find the answers that will enable him to finally let go of the hatred he has held for so long. (Lionsgate UK)
(more)Reviews (4)
A very interesting film about the complicated beginning of the British-Japanese friendship. The film’s assets include a strong theme and a good cast. The writing, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. The theme had a lot more potential, but I still think it is a film worth watching, and I appreciate that the filmmakers didn’t get carried away and turn the film into another Saw sequel. I also liked the smooth transitions between the past and present and the fact that the film focused on the psychological effects of the war rather than the war itself like The Great Raid.
()
It's a pity that the newcomer Jonathan Teplitzky had to learn how to make films on such an interesting topic as WW2. The cast is more than impressive, but the plot is hardly developing and the emotions somehow fail to appear. It takes some time before you start rooting for the refined, low-spoken, elegant and intellectual Colin Firth. There are plenty of things to work with, but they remain unused. The Railway Man wanted to approach Cold Mountain, and others with its form and emotional fatefulness, and failed.
()
The Railway Man is a film whose mainstays are the central trio of actors and a story inspired by true events. Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman are good actors, I've seen that many times before, and for me the unknown Jeremy Irvine was a pleasant surprise. The story is a powerfully evocative drama that, as they say, only life itself could have written. A man struggling to come to terms with the demons of his past, on a quest for peace of mind, accompanied on this journey by a woman who is his support. I liked the layering of the story, mixing passages from the 40s and 80s, and the transitions felt completely natural, so I didn't get lost as a viewer. In short, a modest film at first glance, supported by a strong story and ensemble cast
()
A film about how hard it is to cope with war. I understand such films, although I wouldn't need to confront war myself because due to my inadequacies, I'd likely fall very quickly. But in this case, it seems overly melodramatic to me, at times gratuitous. It's clear that the creators are relying on the book, but that's about it. It's not well-directed, it's too slow, and even though Colin Firth is great (because he can't act any other way), I still couldn't identify with his character.
()