NIGHT TRAIN (United Kingdom)
A review by Mark R. Leeper in bullet-list form
from the Toronto Internation Film Festival
CAPSULE: A released ex-convict on the run from criminals rents a flat and slowly falls in love with his middle-aged landlady. This brings on the ire of the landlady's autocratic mother. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), low +2 (-4 to +4)
- Directed by John Lynch. - Michael Poole (John Hurt) is released from prison and immediately has people chasing him wanting to get back money he embezzled from a local crime figure. Deciding very quickly he cannot live at his flat, he rents another flat from an elderly woman living with her daughter Alice. Alice's mother keeps Alice around and manipulates her by claiming to be infirm and needing her daughter. - Poole brings with him his hobby, a model train set. Alice's mother immediately attributes many of her pains and stiffness to Poole's trains. When Alice expresses some interest in the new tenant, Alice's mother determines to break up the relationship. - This is the first feature film of John Lynch, who previously made films for Irish television. - Alice's mother is terrified of the trains but they are photographed to we are captured by the charm. - Poole's day job is in an abattoir. It is shown in disturbing detail. Violent crime by the gangsters is also shown in equally disturbing detail. - Poole has empty life, but Alice's mother has hold on her daughter. - People have to make difficult choices. - In an odd parallel Poole removes offal from cattle, the gangster removes similar looking balloons of drugs from Teddy Bears. - Poole does not feel he can be honest with Alice.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@lucent.com
Copyright 1998 Mark R. Leeper
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