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

Second half saves some unnecessary characters

Metroland is true to the midlife crisis, except between two people who haven't quite reached that stage of their lives yet. Christian Bale plays an Englishman who begins to reminisce about his past in the mid and late '60s when an old friend (played by Lee Ross) comes back to stir up his life. While I felt that the story was strong and seemingly dramatic enough to keep me interested and entertained, the character played by Lee Ross just seemed unnecessary. This character is supposed to build the plot the first half of the movie and I felt this could've been reached in many other directions.

And if you love France, well, you'll love the beautiful depiction of French women with an excellent performance given by Elsa Zylberstein, Bale's character's 'old flame' that he thinks about constantly throughout the film.

Beautiful 'still' cinematography throughout is perfect for Bale's character's love for photography and makes the film very watchable just for art's sake.

By the time I reached the last 45 minutes or so, I was much more intrigued and worried for the well-being of Bale's marriage with his present day (1977) wife, played wonderfully by Emily Watson. The tension between the two of them throughout the film is far more than believable and I loved it.

While I wanted to give this movie a much higher rating, I think it is fair to say that the first half moves much too slow. I was also slightly disappointed by the ending of the film, but it was still a great surprise and hit me unexpectedly. I highly recommend for Bale/Watson fans.