billcr12
Donald Sutherland is a retired professor of poetry living alone in a large Victorian house, listening to Schubert in most of his spare time. He meets a stranger, played by Larry Mullen, Jr.(yes, it is the drummer of the Irish rock band U2), a criminal type who is the complete opposite of the professor.Mr. Mullen can definitely give up his day job, he is the cinematic acting discovery of the year. His style is that of James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause" or Martin Sheen in "Badlands," and he matches the veteran Sutherland in scene after scene. The two are terrific together. Mullen possesses a natural, charismatic charm.A major problem is the soundtrack, which frequently features a piano in the background at a volume clashing with the actors' lines; at times I was wishing for subtitles.The professor and the stranger with no name ponder each others lives, contemplating the paths they have chosen, a universal theme we can all relate to. The two leads keep it moving along and make it worthwhile.
spotlightne
Basically this film centers on just two actors, Donald Sutherland and Larry Mullen Jr.As we all know, Donald is a seasoned veteran but U2 guy Larry is new to cinema, and boy does it show.I guess Donald has about 3,000 pages of dialogue here to Larry's one page. Larry's excuse is that he is playing a guy (we never know his name) who doesn't say much, although he's on screen nearly as much as Donald.Basically the movie is about Larry (known as the thief) who arrives in town straight off a train and makes an accidental acquaintance with a Professor, played by Sutherland. Bizarrely, the professor invites the thief to stay at his home, while the thief secretly plans a robbery at a local bank.It's a very slow film that never picks up speed. Donald acts his socks off, but Larry is so quiet and dull, the film hardly makes an impact.Without Sutherland this film would have bombed. With a different actor playing the thief it might have been better.I give it 5/10 because of Sutherland but the movie really doesn't deserve it.
edington-3
I had no idea who Larry Mullen Jr was before I watched this movie but I thought he was great. He should have taken up acting years ago. Too busy being the drummer for U2 I guess. Donald Sutherland was good too. I liked the literary references, such a refreshing change to see in a movie. EE Cummings, Bukowsky, Henry James. Hey who doesn't love Henry James? Just joking, probably only me and a few academics. The idea of wishing you had lived someone else's life is intriguing and was handled well. The Professor talks a lot about the choices he has made in his life. The other man (Mullen) doesn't talk about his choices but we can guess what they were. Wish someone would explain the ending though. I liked the ending, just didn't understand it. It was also a very funny movie and had lots of levels, definitely going to be mulling this one over for a few days.
Pamela Powell
Donald Sutherland, accomplished actor, co-stars with Larry Mullen, Jr., neophyte actor, to complete a re-make of the French film L'homme Du Train from 2002. Not having seen the original, I cannot compare the two films. I can, however, tell you that this 2011 version is wonderful!Donald Sutherland plays an optimistic, always friendly, if not a little quirky, professor in a small town named Orangeville located in Anywhere, North America. It's a small, trusting town which, with its lack of security, invites a criminal and his thugs to town to rob the bank. The bank robber is played by Larry Mullen, Jr., of U2 fame. He's quietly mysterious and is welcomed as the house guest of the professor. These two men couldn't be any more of polar opposites. Despite their differences, the two seem to admire one another and become friends over the subsequent days prior to the bank robbery and the professor's upcoming surgery. I was continually trying to figure out what the professor knew and why he had befriended this obvious ne'er-do-well. Only in the end, was I able to figure this out. Both Sutherland and Mullen were superb. The story line had me hooked from the beginning and constantly reeled me in until the credits rolled.I loved this movie. The two main characters were realistically portrayed and I rooted for each of them. The story, direction, and acting were wonderful. Sutherland continually giving quality performances and Mullen giving us a successful first! This sweet and charming movie is well worth seeing!
AD
