The Railway Man

Weinstein Company, The | Release Date: April 11, 2014

7.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 55 Ratings

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HeadcrusherMay 21, 2014

I LOVED this film - everything about it was done well, the cinematography, the music, the editing and it had the one thing a movie should have - a great story. The opening scenes where the lead character falls in love was worth the price ofI LOVED this film - everything about it was done well, the cinematography, the music, the editing and it had the one thing a movie should have - a great story. The opening scenes where the lead character falls in love was worth the price of admission. The film reminded me of "The Shawshank Redemption" in many ways as it is a film about loss, suffering, revenge and redemption. In my opinion one of the best films I've seen in years and I see a lot of movies. If you prefer modern films that have no hero, where everyone is dysfunctional and tainted by evil, and that really have nothing to say, then you might find this film old fashioned - personally I miss old fashioned where films had meaning, a moral, a message and a hero - and this one has it . Not only that it is a true story of mercy triumphing over judgement. The only downside, if this bothers you, is that it has scenes of torture and violence and an inspiring message which may hit you the wrong way if you love wallowing in your own self-pity - which are the only people I can imagine not liking this film (I know what that's like because I did it for much of my life) See it and be inspired.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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LeZeeJun 23, 2014

An autobiographical novel adapted movie that partially covers the story of two distinct eras. One, from the recent time England and another from Thailand during the second world war. About a young man who was in the British army and hisAn autobiographical novel adapted movie that partially covers the story of two distinct eras. One, from the recent time England and another from Thailand during the second world war. About a young man who was in the British army and his sufferings when the British empire of southeast Asia was captured by the Japanese imperial army.

An ex army officer, Eric, by chance meets a strange woman, Patti, on a train journey. The encounter changes their lives forever. Until one day Patti finds abnormality in Eric's behaviour during the sleep. She learns some unbearable secrets during unearthing about his past life. So the screenplay too switches back to the few decades earlier when Eric was a soldier working in Singapore. And it reveals everything he and his men went through during being in the prisoners of war.

‘‘Sometime the hating has to stop’’

Colin Firth's role was limited. He appeared in the opening and the end few minutes. In his presence, he was excellent, like always. Also looked perfect for the role in that getup. The romance portion that commits in the earlier part of the movie went meaningless once the other story begins to take full control. It also includes Nicole Kidman in the unnecessary cast list to see her in a tiny role. It begins to swap the actors, the young version of Colin's role played by a young actor from 'War Horse' was another brilliant performance throw.

The movie had a little flaw, I mean a drag during the last quarter. The scene where old enemies meet were in fact good, but should have been better. Other than that the message was good relating the words 'foe' and 'revenge'. Actually, it is hard to believe in a true story like this, but anyway it happened. It was almost historical accuracy that I came to know from the BBC's quote. It is another reason why this story deserved to be a movie. With the great star casts and crew it became a fine movie.

7.5/10… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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BeeceeMay 1, 2014

Colin Firth does an amazing job portraying the World War II British officer who was captured, then tortured, by the Japanese in Thailand, who then has the opportunity to confront one of his torturers after the war. The scenes of torture areColin Firth does an amazing job portraying the World War II British officer who was captured, then tortured, by the Japanese in Thailand, who then has the opportunity to confront one of his torturers after the war. The scenes of torture are grueling, yet necessary for the audience to truly understand what happened to the officer during the war. Nicole Kidman also does a good job in a smaller role. This movie has a lot to say about the ravages of war and the need for resolution. It also kept me on the edge of my seat.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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stevexparaAug 5, 2014

What a fantastic film with a twist .. and then based on a real life scenario.

It took a long time for the Japanese to officially say sorry to those who fought the forgotten war in the far east and I cant imagine what they went through orWhat a fantastic film with a twist .. and then based on a real life scenario.

It took a long time for the Japanese to officially say sorry to those who fought the forgotten war in the far east and I cant imagine what they went through or how they survived (those that did).

Well worth a viewing… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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barbourjohnAug 22, 2014

War is hell. The worst part about it is the lies that are told to justify the war itself and the cruelty that comes as a consequence. Railway Man tells a part of the story of World War II that is rarely told through the eyes of a BritishWar is hell. The worst part about it is the lies that are told to justify the war itself and the cruelty that comes as a consequence. Railway Man tells a part of the story of World War II that is rarely told through the eyes of a British officer that exemplified the suffering and humiliation endured by the British that were left to surrender to the Japanese at Singapore. It tells the story of two men who find a way to bring closure and find forgiveness and reconciliation. It also tells of a love story of a woman who wouldn't give up until her husband was healed.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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TVJerryApr 28, 2014

This is based on the biographical book by Eric Lomax, a World War II British officer (Colin Firth) who was captured and tortured by the Japanese during the construction of the Thai/Burma railway. His new wife (Nicole Kidman) discovers thatThis is based on the biographical book by Eric Lomax, a World War II British officer (Colin Firth) who was captured and tortured by the Japanese during the construction of the Thai/Burma railway. His new wife (Nicole Kidman) discovers that his torturer is still alive, so he sets out for revenge. The mood of this film starts somber and gets more dismal from there. The story alternates between his despondent present and his awful past, while most of the intensity comes from the prison camp (naturally). Performances are all around strong and the story is compelling, but the film fails to pack an emotional wallop.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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SpangleMay 20, 2016

The Railway Man can be timid and poorly paced at times, but is ultimately an emotionally charged film that really treads interesting and worthwhile territory when it comes to PTSD, WWII, and forgiveness. In particular, the ending of the filmThe Railway Man can be timid and poorly paced at times, but is ultimately an emotionally charged film that really treads interesting and worthwhile territory when it comes to PTSD, WWII, and forgiveness. In particular, the ending of the film is expertly done and really pays off on all of the emotion built up from the rest of the film. Colin Firth, Jeremy Irvine, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Tanroh Ishida, all shine in this film directed by Jonathan Teplitzky. The film is not poorly directed at all, though the pacing does slack at times, which is problematic. The cinematography is very good and the transition between WWII Japan and 1980s England is handled very well and never winds up being confusing when things change. As an overall film, The Railway Man feels too subtle at times which does hurt the final product, but is still a very well made and incredibly well acted film about forgiveness.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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RoachramirezJul 24, 2014

Una pelicula muy buena que tiene gran drama y una gran historia principal . grandes actuaciones de todos lindas imagenes de lugares . y un gran dolor muy bien trasmitido.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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