Review Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003

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"I like boozing with you. Alcohol is the true key to communication." -- Manesquier CASS' CLIP (WARNING: **spoilers below**) An odd couple's tale -- Monsieur Manesquier (Jean Rochefort) is a 70-something, retired poetry teacher. Except for his students or family members and loved ones who have long since passed, Manesquier has lived a rather solitary existence. He still lives in his family's estate, which is in disrepair (symbolic of his ailing health and his scheduled triple bypass surgery). His life lacks spontaneity and his weekly routines -- reading the newspaper and books, playing the piano, tutoring or dinning out at the same restaurant -- are unhurried. Milan (Johnny Hallyday) gets off a train in Manesquier's small provincial French town. You sense Milan is a tough guy because of his outer facade -- his face is weathered, he has a defiant swagger, he's wearing a fringed, black leather jacket, and he's clutching a black leather valise to conceal his three handguns. Composer, Pasal Esteve's, spaghetti western-style score, also accompanies Milan's arrival on the scene. Milan is a bank robber by trade, and the only reason he is in this little sleepy town is to rob one of its banks. A throbbing migraine is giving Milan the blues so he goes to a local pharmacy to buy some aspirin. Manesquier, a meticulous planner and incessant chatterer, still dreams of a life filled with adventure. Milan, a self-made adventurer who is always on the run, and minimal conversationalist, desires the simple pleasure of boredom that denotes a stable home. Manesquier offers Milan a glass of water to take his aspirin, and then a place to stay, because the local hotel is closed for the season. Is it by happenstance that the lives of these two strangers (men on the train, if you will) will collide head-on in the pharmacy, or is it good fortune or destiny? DA 411 Man On The Train is a movie about two men and their respective Saturday appointments. It's the time prior to that fateful Saturday that is left to the audience gets to enjoy a character study of uncommon personalities, and how these two strangers leave an indelible impression on each other. Initially, Jean Rochefort's characterization of Manesquier grated on my nerves (somewhere between pity and respect). By the end of the movie, I absolutely fell in love with Jean Rochefort's performance. He is downright sensational, which explains why he won Best Actor at the 2002 Venice Film Festival, as well as Best Actor at the 2003 Lumiere Awards. Johnny Hallyday, sometimes referred to as the French Elvis, is a well-known French pop singer. Hallyday makes a believable and charismatic Milan because his haggard face alone represents his character's way of life. Casting Johnny Hallyday against Jean Rochefort (think Johnny Cash and Mick Jaguar) works well in this film because one character counterbalances the other characters eccentricities. The humor is sly and witty. For example, when Manesquier sneaks into Milan's room and slips on Milan's fringed leather jacket, Manesquier stands in front of the mirror and proclaims, "My name is Wyatt Earp." Or, when Manesquier tells the barber that he wants his hair cut "somewhere between fresh out of jail and world-class soccer player." Or, when Manesquier, a teacher, admits to Milan "Not one pupil molested in 30 years on the job." As I often do, I ask movie-goers their opinions about the movie. Chet H. said that he was "disappointed with the movie. The film never gets engaging." Diana H. said, "You have to suspend your reality to accept the plot." [Thanks Chet and Diana for sharing your thoughts as well as discussing your opinions on other independent flicks!]. What made Man On The Train engaging enough for me to enjoy were the little things. However, if it had been in English instead of French, I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much. Sometimes, the nuances are lost in translation. Of course, the ending is predictable and a bit melodramatic, but that didn't prevent Man On The Train from winning Best Film at the 2002 Venice Film Festival. CASS' CONCLUSION Man On The Train is not your typical action-type buddy movie, because it lacks action. Instead of Manesquier and Milan's unexpected friendship being a train wreck waiting to happen, it provides both men the solace they yearn. MAN ON THE TRAIN:   back to top Copyright Cassandra Henry, 2003 EMAIL: cass@3blackchicks.com