Review of Homme du train, L`

Introduction

L’Homme du Train (“The Man on the Train”) is a little-known French film made a couple of years ago – probably most famous for starring Johnny Hallyday, the ‘French Elvis’ who has had chart-toppers since the 60’s. Hallyday stars as the mysterious ‘homme du train’, a man with a shady criminal past but now long past his younger years. He meets up with a retired schoolteacher (played by French film colossus Jean Rochefort – recently seen in The Count of Monte Cristo miniseries) who has led a quiet life and is the complete opposite of Hallyday’s character. However, as the story progresses, the two men find they have much more in common than they first thought.

Video

The picture is, you will be glad to hear, of high quality: the level of detail is high throughout, and there is no sign of grain or damage on the print. The colours are accurate, but L’Homme du Train seems to be shot in a method that mutes browns and yellows, with an almost sepia-like effect. The outside scenes are tinged with a shade of blue, giving the film a dreamlike quality that I assume was the director’s intention.

Audio

The soundtrack is in full DD5.1, but sounds more like a stereo track…this is a very dialogue-heavy film, and therefore most of the action takes place in the centre speaker, well away from the surrounds and subwoofer. The subtitles are a prime example of how they should be done in foreign films: white with black outlining, and almost overly large.

Features

There is no ‘special features’ submenu, but on the main menu the theatrical trailer is included.

Conclusion

L’Homme du Train will not be for everyone: it is unashamedly European in nature, a typical art house film from France. For what it’s worth, in my opinion this film is an intimate character study, with strong performances from the two leads that, despite the lack of plot, held my attention throughout the film. It is well shot, well directed and, if you’re not adverse to this kind of slow-moving type of film, I think it’ll be a rewarding couple of hours of cinema.