Sometimes the story itself is enough to carry a movie.
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“The Railway Man” stars Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman as a couple trying to come to grips with the past of a man who lived through a brutal war. It’s based on a true story as told in the autobiography of Eric Lomax, a British Army officer who was a prisoner of war at a Japanese labor camp in WW2. It follows his story there and what happens when he finds out the man responsible for much of his pain is still alive.
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First off, this is a powerful story with some great performances. Colin Firth is incredibly engaging as this man whose haunting past just won’t seem to let him go and Kidman is beautifully understated as his wife that lovingly pushes him to confront his demons. The movie also tells a part of the World War 2 story that we haven’t really seen much of and does it in an incredibly smart and progressive way presenting you with just the information you need and allowing your discovery of the story to be what compels you towards the finish. Speaking of which, that was my favorite thing about the movie. I don’t want to give anything away but I felt like the message of the final moments of this film were some of the most powerful I have seen in a long time. The struggle of dealing with pain and the people who put us through pain are something that we all resonate with, and the way this movie (and the real life Lomax) process through that is heart breakingly impactful. The finish is a meaningful conclusion to an incredible true story.
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In fact, it’s probably the power of that story that manages to cover up the movies primary flaw. It’s really methodical and slow. If you aren’t in the space to take your time with this discovery you may find yourself wondering why the movie feels so down or understated. I can see myself in maybe a different mood, wanting the movie to move it along, but for me the movie rolled along the tracks at exactly the rhythm and pace I needed to feel the impact. I should also mention the prisoner of war stuff does get pretty intense, but I think necessarily so, considering the overall themes.
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At the end of the day, “The Railway Man” is a true story with enough power and meaning to propel us through a often understated presentation. Some great performances by Firth and Kidman along with an incredibly powerful message bring it into the station with a solid B.
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