The Man on the Train

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The Man on the Train ★★★L'Homme du Train 2002 (R)

A chance encounter between two very different men offers viewers subtle pleasures. Elderly retired teacher Manesquier (Rochefort) is intrigued when weary, leather-jacketed stranger Milan (Hallyday) turns up in his small provincial town. Since the only hotel is closed, the bored Manesquier offers Milan hospitality. He shows little concern after realizing that Milan is a thief, who is waiting for his dim partner to turn up so that they can rob the local bank. Manesquier has always led a proper dull life while Milan has done just the opposite and they begin to envy each other as an odd friendship develops. Old-pro Rochefort, in his seventh film with Leconte, is engaging while French pop icon Hallyday offers a surprisingly strong performance that is a mixture of machismo and sensitivity. French with subtitles. 90m/C VHS, DVD . FR Jean Rochefort, Johnny Hallyday, Jean-Francois Stevenin, Charlie Nelson, Isabelle Petit-Jacques, Edith Scob, Pascal Parmentier; D: Patrice Leconte; W: Claude Klotz; C: Jean-Marie Dreujou; M: Pascal Esteve. L.A. Film Critics ‘03: Foreign Film.

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The Man on the Train

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