Trem Noturno para Lisboa

In Bern, Switzerland, the teacher Raimund Gregorius (Jeremy Irons) saves a young woman from committing suicide jumping off a bridge and brings her to the school where he works. During his class, she leaves the building and Raimund unsuccessfully runs after her to give her coat back. He finds a book, "Um Ourives das Palavras" (A Goldsmith of the Words) written by the Portuguese Amadeu de Almeida Prado (Jack Huston) in the pocket and he goes to the bookstore stamped on the first page and discovers that the book was sold on the previous day to the woman. He finds a train ticket to Lisbon that will departure in fifteen minutes inside the book and he goes to the Central Station expecting to find the woman. He embarks in the train to Lisbon and reads the book, becoming fascinated with the story. When he arrives in Lisbon, Raimund decides to stay in the city to meet Amadeu. He finds his house, where his sister Adriana (Charlotte Rampling) lives, and soon he discovers that Amadeu is dead. Raimund decides to research the life of Amadeu, who was a doctor and writer that belonged to the resistance against the dictator Salazar, and his discoveries affect his own boring life.

"Night Train to Lisbon" is a movie with a tedious beginning, when the lead character leaves his students in their classroom and travels to Lisbon in a senseless situation. Then there is serendipity, when he has an accident and breaks his glasses, and the doctor introduces him to her uncle that was a friend of Amadeu. But the development of the plot like a puzzle and the open conclusion are excellent and makes worthwhile watching this movie. The excellent European cast is another great attraction. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Trem Noturno para Lisboa" ("Night Train to Lisbon")

There were many reasons for wanting to see 'Night Train to Lisbon'. Lisbon is such a beautiful city, the premise and book are just fascinating and really wanted to see the film in full after seeing a couple of clips online. Billie August is not a favourite of mine when it comes to directors but has been responsible for some great work, evidenced by being one of very few (only eight) directors to win the Palme D'Or twice which is a big honour.

'Night Train to Lisbon's' main draw for me was the cast. A cast that includes Jeremy Irons, Tom Courtenay, Lena Olin, Bruno Ganz, Christopher Lee, Martina Gedeck and Charlotte Rampling is very difficult to resist, Irons and Lee especially are favourites of mine and like a lot of Courtenay's work too. Seeing the whole film yesterday, while it falls short of greatness to me there was much to admire about it. 'Night Train to Lisbon' is not for everybody, it may be too slow-paced and too talky for some and a fair share of critics found it to be the case. Personally find it very under-valued, despite coming across a lot of people online who did like it, thought it did its premise justice and wasn't bothered as much by what critics didn't like about it.

It's not flawless, the back and forth between timelines is at times is not always as clear or natural in flow as it should be with some of the chronology in the flashbacks jumping about a little.

Some of the events in the modern day happen too conveniently and at times the first third or so when the story was just setting up was a little sluggish and over-wordy.

Once 'Night Train to Lisbon' got going and Raimund and the audience learn more, it becomes a very thoughtful and engaging film with a good amount of emotional impact (especially towards the end), each revelation being intriguing and not too predictable. Respectfully do disagree with those that say that the flashbacks had no tension or suspense, found the latter ones when the revolution became more violent edge of the seat suspenseful. The political elements thankfully are not laid on too thick and considering the time period it was so easy to fall into that trap. Liked too the charming and gentle approach to the modern day scenes, particularly apparent in the chemistry between Raimund and Marianna.

Visually, 'Night Train to Lisbon' looks a treat. It is absolutely beautifully shot and anybody who has not been to Lisbon will find themselves to book a trip there, the film perfectly captures the beauty of it without feeling like a holiday travelogue. The music score really stuck in my mind after watching the film and is still in my head now, loved the understatement and pathos it brought. August directs solidly and the script, while too wordy in places, is very thoughtful, very layered and intelligent, wasn't confused by any of it and wasn't irked by Raimund's intriguing questioning. Some may find the ending abrupt, actually appreciated that it didn't end in a way that could potentially be too pat.

What is especially good about 'Night Train to Train' is the cast, some suspect accents aside. August did two films with Jeremy Irons, this and 'House of the Spirits' twenty years or so previous. Don't know how this opinion is going to go down with people, but found this to be the better film and despite the role here being less complex also prefer Irons' performance in this film. His performance is one of his most subtle with telling expressions and warm as chocolate delivery, but he is wholly successful in making a character meant to be "boring" very compelling and easy to identify with, and totally carries the modern day scenes which wouldn't have had as much impact without him. It is a wonderful performance and among his better recent years ones. He shares great chemistry with a charming Martina Gedeck, equally good in his scenes with Tom Courtenay and a pretty moving one with frail but still commanding as ever Christopher Lee in one of his last roles. The younger cast do just as good a job, especially Jack Huston showing that with good material he can be good and Melanie Laurent. Charlotte Rampling also gives a deeply felt performance in a small but important role.

Concluding, well worth your time. 7/10

Night Train to Lisbon is one of the most philosophical movies to hit theaters in the last couple of years. The trip started by Raimund is not between places but between identities. An existential journey into the great unknown of the soul. Some say we take ourselves everywhere we go. This movie tries to tell us instead that we *find* ourselves in those places, we discover a new way of seeing with our own eyes and, when we leave, a part of us stays in that place forever. Returning there is a way of visiting ourselves, like we would an old friend... There's so many layers, so many subtle metaphors, so much poetry in the imagery and storytelling, that despite being such a straightforward story you can't help feeling like you're walking through a maze, a labyrinth of emotions and thoughts, where present, past and future merge into a vast uplifting eternity. One of the best crafted uses of mise-en-abîme i recall ever seeing in a movie! Raimund is Raimund, but he's also Pascal Mercier, and also Amadeu Prado and also You. There's a fiction within a fiction here: a book within a book within a movie. A lie within a lie: a poet within a reader, within a spectator, within a person. This dilution between fiction and reality and between the actor and the audience often occurs, but rarely is it ever a theme, rarely is it ever presented as a question to the audience and rarely so beautifully answered. This game of mirrors will leave you full of wonder and hungry for life. There couldn't be a better outcome for a story that starts with a suicide attempt... There's too many reasons to watch this movie and too little space to review it properly unfortunately... The scenery of Lisbon, the universal anguish of the characters, the excruciating portrayal of the Portuguese dictatorship, the lessons it offers on some of the most important questions one can ask oneself... Do yourself a favor and go see it!

I should start by saying if you're older (say 45 or more) you should definitely check out this movie. It has some lines in it that are extraordinary and it's worth seeing just for those nuggets. This is one of those movies that talks to you at a personal level. I don't want to describe too much of it because that would ruin the whole point.

But, I will say...

The director moves you along at such a perfect pace that you almost feel like you're floating. The topics aren't casual but he hovers over them at just the right height.

The acting is right on the money, it suits the movie perfectly, no one is out of step.

The story moves seamlessly between past and present, you won't feel a bump anywhere. It's true, the movie is multi-layered, but the straight up story is more than enough.

And the ending is perfect for this type of movie.

It really is worth the watch, but as I mentioned you might need to be a little older to really...

Night Train to Lisbon (2013)

A remarkable movie, with shades of magic and threads of a true national angst still resolving in contemporary Portugal. I just returned from a visit there and can sense some vestige of another era in the buildings, but not in the people. The era of dictatorship is no longer visible to the tourist.

But that is the meat of the movie, set after Salazar's long reign, and with the aftermath of memories and lost ones still mourned. But it's all told (based on a novel by a Swiss writer) as if in a dream, or in an individual's search through imprecise information and people who don't always talk about it the way you might expect. It's a series of small surprises, elegantly wrought.

So in all these ways it's a powerful movie. It's small and intimate, however, not an epic about this great turning point in Portuguese history. In a way it's appropriate, because I found the people there less exuberant and more contemplative than the Spaniards next door. There are always a million reasons for such things—climate, outside cultural influences, etc.—but it's so true that the movie is actually terribly honest. It reveals the truth, in little facets, and never complete.

The star certainly is Jeremy Irons, who plays the leading role with tenderness and quiet certitude. He's terrific, and perfect for this part. Also appearing is Charlotte Rampling who has a knack for small, odd, but critical roles in offbeat movies. The cast is wide, and in the many flashbacks the characters gradually intersect in different ways, revealing their personal connections to the political strife of the times.

Good stuff? Excellent stuff! I liked it more than I expected to. It's slow at times, and maybe (if you are not paying attention) a hair confusing, but give it a go if you are inclined at all. A serious, brooding but not depressing drama about, in the end, relationship. As all the best movies are.