The Railway Man

Name: The Railway Man
Genre: Biography, Drama
Released: April 11, 2014
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 59
Cast: Colin Firth, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jeremy Irvine, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård

2014

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 54 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 54 Ratings

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The Railway Man

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Movie Details & Credits

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

Starring: Colin Firth, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jeremy Irvine, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård

Summary: Eric Lomax, a World War II British Army officer who was captured and forced to work on the notorious Death Railway, sets out to find those responsible for his torture.

Director: Jonathan Teplitzky

Genre(s): Biography, Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 116 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Rex Reed

Apr 10, 2014

Wrenching, profound and beautifully made, The Railway Man is one of the stunning don’t-miss surprises of the still-young 2014. Read full review

David Hiltbrand

Apr 25, 2014

Lean's classic is something of a picnic compared to The Railway Man, which contains horrific scenes of torture. Read full review

Kimberley Jones

Apr 23, 2014

Screenwriters Andy Paterson and Frank Cottrell Boyce (who wrote many of Michael Winterbottom’s early films) adeptly shift the action back and forth between these two timelines, and the drama – exterior and interior – is engrossing in both tracks. Read full review

Ty Burr

Apr 17, 2014

Throughout, Firth compellingly plays a man struggling to make sense of the ordeal that his life has become. Too often, though, you can feel the movie struggling right along with him. Read full review

Mike Scott

Apr 25, 2014

Nicole Kidman as wife Patti (shows nice, subtle touches in her limited time on-screen). Read full review

Peter Debruge

Sep 12, 2013

There’s something decidedly old-fashioned — and also dull as ditchwater — about Jonathan Teplitzky’s retelling of events. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Apr 10, 2014

I think I’d rather have the waterboarding than the movie’s bromides about how we’re all victims and hate must end. Read full review

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User Reviews

Headcrusher

May 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 of admission. The film reminded me of "The ShawshankI 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

stevexpara

Aug 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 or how they survived (those that did).

Well worth a viewing

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Roachramirez

Jul 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

LowbrowCinema

Apr 23, 2014

THE RAILWAY MAN is a lovely, small film about intimacy, love, and forgiveness. The film spends too much time in the past which is actually exactly what the film is all about--resolving past nightmares. The chemistry between Firth and Kidman is truly remarkable and very touching. These areTHE RAILWAY MAN is a lovely, small film about intimacy, love, and forgiveness. The film spends too much time in the past which is actually exactly what the film is all about--resolving past nightmares. The chemistry between Firth and Kidman is truly remarkable and very touching. These are two people who clearly love and care for each other. I wish the film knew better what it really was but all in all -- lovely. I'm not British, but THE RAILWAY MAN'S modern stiff upper lip would make me proud to be a Brit.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

wornoutspines

Feb 12, 2015

It begins like a poorly executed romantic movie, too fast and a little messy. Then when we get to the thick of it, the heart of the story and Eric Lomax's history starts to make sense a little bit, but again it's executed poorly. The photography is good, the actors gave a decent performance,It begins like a poorly executed romantic movie, too fast and a little messy. Then when we get to the thick of it, the heart of the story and Eric Lomax's history starts to make sense a little bit, but again it's executed poorly. The photography is good, the actors gave a decent performance, so it must be the script or the director.

Since the film is based on a true story, it's a shame that there's such a lack of emotional involvement. It's not as gruesome as it could have been for movie War movie, the torture is kept to a minimum, so they could have pull on the audience's heart strings and play on the emotion card more. I needed to care, to feel for Eric Lomax but I never really did.

As I mentioned the cast gave a decent performance, they were good maybe not great but they were sensitive and raw. Jeremy Irvine is unrecognizable in this film but it feels like he was barely there. Kidman is graceful and reeks of devotion while Firth wears his heart on his sleeve for the audience and Sanada is just sort of impressive.

Although the film did not work for me, I recognized that Eric Lomax's story is inspiring but the movie failed to help me connected with his amazing story. I feel this is a hit or miss situation depending on who you are.

@wornoutspines… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Trev29

Sep 3, 2014

It has all the markings of what could have been a very good film, and in the end it was just decent. The last half and especially the ending made up for most of its faults though.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

olof

Aug 19, 2014

The movie shows an awful part of world war two that I didn't know much about. But the movie is too gooey for my taste. The soldiers are a bit too heroic, and the monologs a bit too pompous.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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