Les Voies du destin

I read the short storyline of the film before viewing and it had intrigued me. I came into it with an open mind - at first romance and then the inescapable drama. The acting by Firth was amazing. I was mesmerized. It may be slow (to some of a lesser attention span) at first, but eased into a psychological drama that holds on tight and will not release until the finale. Spectacular cinematography, the scenes are beautiful and real. It is a wake up call to those who have not/do not understand the great span of WWII - brings much needed insight into the history of this particular banker's war. Ultimately, this film beautifully portrays the ultimate power of forgiveness. Which brought tears to my eyes, in the panic and hysteria that the world now feels due to war and terror, it is good to know that there is some shred of humanity that exists and has hope to exist in the future.

Last week I saw American HUSTLE and couldn't understand why the critics have so raved about it. Yesterday I saw THE RAILWAY MAN and can't understand why the critics have been so dismissive. It's a tense story about one of the great horrors of World War Two. Based on a true story, it's also a tale of love and redemption, two of the cinema's (and literature's) greatest themes. And it serves up a vivid reminder that the Japanese of the 1940s were, like the Nazis, from a different generation, almost from a different race.

David Lean's BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI casts a huge shadow over this movie. THE RAILWAY MAN lacks the "majesty" of Lean's famous epic, but I suspect that Alex Guinness's performance would seem very theatrical by the standards of screen acting today. If anything, Colin Firth gives a slightly under-powered performance (and Nicole Kidman's part gives her too little to work with), but Jeremy Irvine is intensely believable as the wartime Lomax, geeky and quietly heroic. The horrors of the forced labour that built the railway and the relentless brutality of the Japanese soldiers are both vividly conveyed, and the ending manages to be poignant without trespassing into mawkishness.

This is a strange movie, grim but highly watchable. Arguably, it could have been tougher, more savage, but then it might be harder to sit through.

As some readers may have noticed, I tend to like 'small' films-- independent movies made on small budgets that emphasize fine acting and excellent scripts as opposed to action and special effects. There are, of course, many exceptions. For example, I just saw a film that has terrific writing, wonderful acting and yet was made with some very familiar and high-priced stars--and, sadly, most folks didn't see it when it came to the theaters. Fortunately, "The Railway Man" was just released on DVD and Netflix brought it out this week--so you have no excuse not to see it yourself.

"The Railway Man" is based on a true story written by Eric Lomax about himself and his experiences following World War Two. During the war, he was a prisoner of the Japanese and suffered tremendous torture and privations. Not at all surprisingly, he suffered through the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for years and his way of coping with it was to ignore it and pretend that not of it every happened. He refuses to talk about it and instead seems to talk about many dull things (such as railway timetables) instead of what was destroying him inside. Not surprisingly, it threatened to ruin his second marriage. So, not wanting to continue living this way, Lomax set about taking his recovery seriously--and the first thing he planned to do was find the Japanese soldier responsible for brutalizing him when he was in the prisoner of war camp. What's next? See the film--I really don't want to tell you too much and spoil what is to follow.

The film stars Colin Firth as Eric and Nicole Kidman as his wife, Patti. I am not sure how the studio got the services of two talented Oscar- winners like these two, but regardless, director Jonathan Teplitzky's job was sure a lot easier given these fine actors--though he also showed a very deft hand with the film despite his relative lack of experience. As for the plot, the screenplay was, as I mentioned above, based on Lomax's book and really pulls you into his life and struggles. But, like many films, a few liberties were taken with his actual life story. In the film, Eric's first marriage and children were never mentioned, for example. However, the basic story is there and the film team managed to create a tremendously moving film--one that got better and better as the film progressed. While it might look like a romance, this is only a small portion of the movie and viewers should be warned--there are a few intense images you see in Eric's flashbacks--imaged of the ghastliness of war and war crimes. This is why the film is rated R, though I really think it is appropriate to show to teens provided you watch it with them and discuss what you've seen. All in all, a great example of a film with a bigger budget and some very big name actors who managed to impress me--though it somehow failed pretty miserably in the box office. Perhaps it wasn't marketed well, perhaps folks were put off by the idea of a man suffering with PTSD...all I know is that for Firth and Kidman, it's among the best work they've ever done and is an incredibly moving film. See this one.

Words cannot do this film justice. There are no words to describe how amazing the true story of Eric Lomax really was, and I do not want to give away the entire story here. But suffice to say that I was fully engrossed in the film throughout its entirety. From the moment we see Eric and Patty meet to the emotional ending,I could not bring myself to look away or even to reach down for my drink in the cinema. Be prepared for some harrowing and intense scenes. But bear in mind that these are required for us to understand completely the dilemma faced by Eric at the end of his story. The actors portray their characters beautifully, with so much angst and emotion that I found myself empathising with them all the way through. If you are interested whatsoever in stories of war, survival, trauma, revenge, forgiveness and the ethical dilemmas wrapped up in them all, then this is a film you should definitely see. Tears rolled down my face as the credits rolled, and I found myself thinking about the movie long after watching it. Highly recommended.

Based on a true memoir of survival, love, retribution, and forgiveness, "The Railway Man" sets off from Edinburgh at a leisurely pace. The film slowly unfolds through flashbacks as layer upon layer of a World War II veteran's repressed memories are stripped away. A brutal, less spectacular cousin to "The Bridge on the River Kwai," the film centers on events that followed the British surrender of Singapore in 1942 and the subsequent Japanese use of British prisoners of war to construct a railway line from Thailand into Burma. Hidden secrets erupt from a rumpled domestic scene and unfurl in a bleak and monochromatic Scotland. However, in flashback, the cinematography shifts to warmer hues that imbue the tropical prison camp scenes shot around Kanchanaburi, Thailand, and the actual rail line that crosses the River Kwai.

The film's outer layer is a love story between an aging unkempt railway enthusiast, Eric Lomax, and a younger woman, Patti, whom he meets during a train journey. Once wed, Eric's suppressed demons from his war experiences surface, and Patti attempts to unravel her husband's mysteries and reclaim the man that she loves. Colin Firth portrays Eric in a restrained internalized performance that simmers with efforts to suppress harrowing memories, pent-up anger, and a thirst for vengeance. Unfortunately, Nicole Kidman's perfect complexion and carefully made-up demeanor work against any verisimilitude as Patti, the loyal, loving wife of an introverted man with dark secrets; once beyond her looks, however, she does an earnest capable job in the undemanding role. The rest of the film's cast is also fine; Jeremy Irvine does well as the young Eric, who convinces viewers that he could age into Colin Firth. Stellan Skarsgard has a short, but effective role, as Finlay, the mature version of Lomax's prison mate, who helps Patti delve into Eric's past. Tanroh Ishida and Hiroyuki Sanada are excellent in key roles as Japanese guard and interpreter.

Unlike the David Lean classic, "The Railway Man" is no action thriller, but rather a psychological examination of the lingering effects of war's brutalities on the survivors, both the victors and the vanquished. Colin Firth gives another powerful, if underplayed, performance in a still rising career of memorable roles; Firth alone is reason enough to see the movie. At times, director Jonathan Teplitzky is a bit too arty for the film's good; his wide-screen images are sometimes self-consciously composed; and holding the camera on static shots of characters thinking or remembering may be mesmerizing for some viewers, but tedious for others. However, despite pacing issues, most evident early in the film, patient viewers will be rewarded with a powerful heartfelt closing that should stimulate the tear ducts.