Metroland (1997)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Philip Saville

Writers:

Julian Barnes (novel)
Adrian Hodges (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 July 1998 (Singapore)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Metroland is not a location - it is a state of mind.

Plot:

The sudden reappearance of his best friend Toni, after ten years absence, causes Chris to remember his past, to question some of his lifestyle decisions and to re-evaluate his life and marriage to Marion.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Paris | Marriage | London | Photographer

Cast

Christian Bale	...	Chris
Emily Watson	...	Marion
Lee Ross	...	Toni
Elsa Zylberstein	...	Annick
John Wood	...	The Retired Commuter
Rufus	...	Henri
Amanda Ryan	...	Joanna
Jonathan Aris	...	Dave
Ifan Meredith	...	Mickey
Boris Terral	...	Jacques
Lucy Speed	...	Punk Girl
Bill Thomas	...	Middle-Aged Commuter
Bethan Fairbairn	...	Amy
Daisy Fairbairn	...	Amy
Del Bartle	...	One of The Subverts

Also Known As:

Metroland (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, and for language.

Runtime:

105 min | USA:101 min

Country:

Spain | France | UK

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M (TV rating) | Iceland:12 | Germany:12 | France:U | Singapore:R(A) | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Quotes:

Marion: Anyway, I want it to be you that I make love to.
Chris: It's me! It's me, darling!
Marion: No, it's not. It's eight pints of lager with an erection.

Soundtrack:

Blues Clair

Take the train

"Metroland" Christian Bale stars as Chris, a 30 year old man who must reexamine his priorities and life choices once an old friend(Lee Ross) comes back into his life. The friend criticizes Chris on the lack of excitement in his life and urges him to leave his wife Marion (Emily Watson) and travel the world. As enticing the dramatic possibilities seem with this plot, "Metroland" takes all the expectations one might have and tries something new. It's a character piece, headlined with a smashing performance by Bale. It's also funny, bright, and deeply introspective. The plot takes us on a tour of Chris's past. A past that included a stay in Paris with a beautiful native. The woman teaches Chris the ways of love and bohemian lifestyle, a lifestyle Chris has always wanted. The section takes up about half of the film, and is the film's strongest suit. We see the very English Chris try to pass himself off as a Parisian and curse at other Brits, he also loses his virginity is a grandly comical scene. The other half of the film deals with Chris trying to justify his lack of shame in his calm, predictable life. Veteran director Philip Saville does a good job making sure the audience never loses faith in Chris. It could have been real easy to drag the film through a series of lame dramatics, but Saville gives realistic answers to realistic questions.

There are a lot of pluses in "Metroland". It's well written, sharply shot with a good eye for detail, and everybody out there knows how I feel about the brilliant Emily Watson. What I liked best, and this might seem weird, but with all the grotesque nudity in such films as "Go" and "He Got Game", "Metroland" is refreshingly blunt. There is a lot of bodies on display here, but in a very natural and - dare I say - beautiful way. It's not thrown in your face. It just is. This is a good movie that relies on a soft, steady narrative than a hyped, antsy one.------------- 8