Metroland (1997)

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 | Love | Marriage | Photographer | Sex

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
Gareth Batson	...	One of The Subverts
Danny De Matos	...	One of The Subverts
Brad Waissman	...	One of The Subverts
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kerry Burton	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Brian Protheroe	...	Woody (uncredited)
Clare Wilkie	...	Girl at School Dance (uncredited)

Directed by
Philip Saville

Writing credits
Julian Barnes		(novel)
Adrian Hodges		(screenplay)

Produced by
Andrew Bendel	....	producer
Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre	....	co-producer
Martine de Clermont-Tonnerre	....	executive producer: France
François-Xavier Decraene	....	line producer: France
John Wyn Evans	....	executive producer: Blue Horizon
Adrian Hodges	....	associate producer
Enrique Posner	....	co-producer
Joy Spink	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Jean-François Robin

Film Editing by
Greg Miller

Casting by
Kate Rhodes James

Production Design by
Don Taylor

Art Direction by
Mark Kebby

Set Decoration by
John Bush

Costume Design by
Jenny Beavan

Makeup Department
Beverley Binda	....	makeup assistant
Elaine Nicholas	....	makeup assistant
Roseann Samuel	....	makeup designer (as RoseAnn Samuel)

Production Management
Stephen Barker	....	post-production supervisor
François-Xavier Decraene	....	production manager: France

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Booker	....	second assistant director
Thomas Brutschi	....	second assistant director: France
Nanna Mailand-Hansen	....	third assistant director
Laurent Soulet	....	assistant director: France
Guy Travers	....	first assistant director

Art Department
George Ball	....	property master
Michel Battaggia	....	production buyer: France
Ed Cotton	....	art department graphics (as Edward Cotton)
Sandra Creac'h	....	production buyer: France
Marcel Daudin	....	propman: France
Nicolas Fagard	....	production buyer: France (as Nicolas Faggard)
Hugh Fottrell	....	stand-by propman
Ian Fryer	....	dressing propman
Patrick Guyot	....	production buyer: France
Stephane Hascouét	....	production buyer: France
Rebecca Holmes	....	assistant art director
Wesley Peppiatt	....	dressing propman
Gilbert Pignol	....	stand-by painter: France
Paul Purdy	....	stand-by propman
Marie-Claire Quin	....	assistant art director: France
Joe Sheehan	....	stand-by carpenter
Michael Standish	....	buying assistant
Roger Wilkins	....	construction manager
Nick Wood	....	stand-by painter

Sound Department
Chuck Ainlay	....	sound recording engineer
Tim Alban	....	dubbing mixer
Julie Ankerson	....	foley artist
Ken Barton	....	dialogue editor
Stuart Davies	....	dialogue editor
Tom Fawcett	....	foley editor
Simon Gershon	....	sound effects editor
Tim Owens	....	dialogue editor
John Pitt	....	sound maintenance
Jeremy Price	....	foley recordist
Andre Schmidt	....	sound effects editor
John Sewell	....	foley artist
Brian Simmons	....	sound recordist
Fiona Woolley	....	sound effects editor

Stunts
Tom Delmar	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Attwood	....	electrician
Eric Baraillon	....	electrician: France
Tony Burns	....	electrician (as Tony Burnes)
Danny Cohen	....	clapper loader
Alain Dutartre	....	camera operator: second unit, France
Paul Englefield	....	director of photography: second unit
Simon Finney	....	focus puller
Ron Fleet	....	grip
Ian Franklin	....	electrician
Leigh Gold	....	focus puller: second unit
Merritt Gold	....	focus puller: second unit
Dave Gray	....	stand-by rigger
Barry Moore	....	best boy electric (as Barry More)
Peter Mountain	....	still photographer
Gary Parnham	....	additional electrician
Marie-Laure Prost	....	focus puller: second unit, France (as Marie-Laure Prost-Pierret)
Jamie Sewell	....	clapper loader: second unit
Rosalyn Shearn	....	camera trainee
Mitch Spooner	....	generator operator
Roger Tooley	....	Steadicam operator
Alf Tramontin	....	Steadicam operator
John Tygier	....	photographer: Chris's photographs
Richard Vidal	....	electrician: France
Jimmy Wilson	....	gaffer
Andy Young	....	grip: second unit
Sean Young	....	stand-by rigger

Casting Department
Paula Chevallet	....	casting: France

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Kot	....	assistant costume designer (as Anna Koy)
Stephen Miles	....	wardrobe master
Bernard Minne	....	wardrobe assistant: : France
Carla Pope	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Michael Jonathan Brierley	....	on-line editor
Laura Evans	....	assistant editor
Abigail Webber	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Richard Bennett	....	musician: guitars
Roz Colls	....	music supervisor
Jim Cox	....	musician: keyboards
Chad Cromwell	....	musician: drums
Guy Fletcher	....	musician: keyboards
Mark Knopfler	....	music producer
Mark Knopfler	....	musician: guitars
Steve Sidwell	....	musician: trumpet
Chris White	....	musician: saxophones
Glenn Worf	....	musician: bass

Transportation Department
Julian Cole	....	unit driver
John Coleman	....	unit driver
Mick Crowley	....	unit driver
Melvin Kiernan	....	unit driver
Paris Leonti	....	unit driver (as Barry Leonti)
Hugh McLellan	....	unit driver
Gary Preston	....	unit driver
Nick Smalley	....	unit driver
Paul Thompson	....	unit driver
Ricky Titcombe	....	unit driver
Bob Turner	....	unit driver
Jon Wilson	....	driver: camera car

Other crew
Laure Auger-Robert	....	production secretary: France
Jean-Paul Battaggia	....	location manager: France
Carole Brooks	....	assistant accountant
Elaine Burt	....	production coordinator
Gwenael Camuzard	....	production assistant: France
Lionel Champaud	....	production assistant: France
John Clifford	....	stand-in
Warren Cowan	....	publicist: Phil Symes Associates
Edouard de Chabaneix	....	assistant to co-producer
Tom Delmar	....	fight arranger
Chris Dinbar	....	unit nurse
Jacques Dubecq	....	accountant: France
Jean-Marc Duez	....	production assistant: France
Stephan Guillemet	....	assistant location manager: France
Michele Hartley	....	stand-in
Joseph Jayawardena	....	assistant location manager
William Klein	....	extracts of "Grands Soirs et Petite Matins" courtesy of
Alice Lefrançois	....	assistant to co-producer: France
Susanna Lenton	....	script supervisor
Angela Neillis	....	assistant to producer
Alex Oakley	....	floor runner
Benjamin Ogley	....	production runner (as Ben Ogley)
Sue Quinn	....	location manager
Phil Rymer	....	legal services: Marriott Harrison
David Smith	....	unit publicist
Trevor Stanley	....	production accountant
Julien Toujan	....	assistant location manager: France
Joanna Ball	....	title designer: Jo and Co. (uncredited)
Harrison Cheung	....	publicist (uncredited)

Thanks
Kim Ballard	....	thanks
Ed Bicknell	....	thanks
Brigitte Brauner	....	thanks: Mairie De Paris
Simon Broad	....	thanks
Christopher Cameron	....	thanks
Philippe Carcassonne	....	thanks
Jenne Casarotto	....	thanks
Susy Coy	....	thanks
Mark Dunford	....	thanks
Graham Easton	....	thanks
Barrie Ellis	....	thanks (as Barrie Ellis-Jones)
George Faber	....	thanks
Thomas Gardiner	....	thanks
Ilann Girard	....	thanks
Ernst Goldschmidt	....	thanks
Said Hamadi	....	thanks
Boyd Harvey	....	thanks
Billy Hinshelwood	....	thanks
Gerard Lasselin	....	thanks
Cameron McCracken	....	thanks
Tommy Moran	....	thanks
Norman North	....	thanks
Roger Paddison	....	thanks
Simon Perry	....	thanks
Robyn Slovo	....	thanks
Bernie Stampfer	....	thanks
David Wilder	....	thanks
Kate Wilson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Arts Council of England
• Blue Horizon Productions
• Eurimages
• European Co-production Fund
• Filmanía S.L.
• MACT Productions

Distributors

• Jugendfilm-Verleih (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films (1999) (Canada)
• Lions Gate Films (1999) (USA)
• Metrodome Distribution
• Pandora Cinema
• Universal Studios Home Video

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment
• ARRI Media  camera equipment provided by
• Archives de Paris  thanks
• Arion Facilities  telecine transfers
• British Pathé  Paris riot footage courtesy of (as British Pathe News)
• Cinedine  catering
• Cofiloisirs S.A.  production finance
• Damson Studios  titles and opticals
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  post-production facilities
• Eastphone  walkie talkies
• Film Finances  completion guarantee
• Film Stock Center Blanx  film stock supplied by
• General Screen Enterprises  titles and opticals
• Guinness Mahon and Company  production finance
• History of Advertising Trust  thanks
• International Stunt Company, The  stunt services
• Jean-Claude Charpentier  action vehicles
• Jo and Co.  title design
• London Underground Heritage Fleet  thanks
• Marriott Harrison  legal services
• On Set Location Services  transport facilities
• Phil Symes Associates  publicity
• Pick-Ups  transportation
• Prefecture de Paris  thanks
• Real Food for Reel People  catering
• SVL  transport facilities
• Sampson & Allen  production insurance
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sarm Studios (West)  original score recorded at
• Scribewerks  optics and marketing (uncredited)
• Spectra Titles  titles and opticals (as Spectra)
• Studio 51 Opticals  titles and opticals
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  sound re-recorded at

Also Known As:

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:

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

Filming Locations:

Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When sitting in the Pub talking about sleeping with "other" women and having sex with the same person for so long , the song heard on the juke-box in the background is Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing". The year is 1977 (the year of Punk) yet this had not been written or recorded until mid 1978.

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:

Sultans Of Swing

No, it's not. It's eight pints of lager with an erection.

This film adapted from a novel by one of England's best writers, Julian Barnes, was a story to anyone who has been married for a while. Set mainly during 1977, the drama focuses on Chris (Christian Bale) and Tony (Lee Ross), who grew up together in suburban England a decade earlier.

Chris is now happily married to Marion (Emily Watson) and has a baby daughter. Tony has never settled down. A surprise visit from his childhood friend causes Chris to reassess his present life and to remember his days working in Paris; there he lived with Annick (Elsa Zylberstein), a young, liberated French woman, before he fell in love with Marion.

Bale and Watson were superb in this film. He fantasizes about how his life would have been had he not gotten married. Tony is trying to convince him to give it all up, and Marion is trying to save her marriage.

There is a lot of nudity and sex, but none is gratuitous. It all adds to the story and , at times, is funny, especially when he was new at sex in Paris.

The most interesting part of the film consists of two related scenes. he tells Tony that he is "content." Maybe that is the best you can hope for from an Englishman. His wife asks later if he is "happy." he says, "If not now, never." That is certainly, to me at least, not a ringing endorsement. Maybe again, it is particularly English.

The film was very enjoyable, and the only criticism I would have is the graininess in the middle. I am beginning to like Bale more and more.