Night Train to Lisbon (2013)

Swiss Professor Raimund Gregorius (Jeremy Irons) abandons his lectures and buttoned-down life to embark on a thrilling adventure that will take him on a journey to the very heart of himself.

Director:

Bille August

Writers:

Greg Latter (screenplay), Ulrich Herrmann (screenplay)

Stars:

Jeremy Irons, Mélanie Laurent, Jack Huston

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Irons	...	Raimund Gregorius
Mélanie Laurent	...	Young Estefânia
Jack Huston	...	Amadeu
Martina Gedeck	...	Mariana
Tom Courtenay	...	Older João Eça
August Diehl	...	Young Jorge O'Kelly
Bruno Ganz	...	Older Jorge O'Kelly
Lena Olin	...	Older Estefânia
Marco D'Almeida	...	Young João
Beatriz Batarda	...	Young Adriana
Christopher Lee	...	Father Bartolomeu
Charlotte Rampling	...	Older Adriana
Nicolau Breyner	...	Da Silva
Jane Thorne	...	Older Clotilde
Burghart Klaußner	...	Judge Prado

Storyline

This movie is about aging Swiss Professor Raimund Gregorius (Jeremy Irons) of classical languages who, after a chance encounter with a Portuguese woman, quits his job and travels to Lisbon in the hope of discovering the fate of a certain author, a doctor and poet who fought against Portuguese Dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar.

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Plot Keywords:

lisbon portugal | book | portugal | resistance | suicide attempt | 

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Taglines:

Only when you are lost can you truly find yourself.

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Genres:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of violence, and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene when Adriana (Charlotte Rampling) first meets Raimund (Jeremy Irons) in her house has a lot of similarities with the scene in Angel Heart (1987) where Charlotte Rampling's character Margaret Krusemark receives Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) in her house. In both scenes, it's the first (and rather uncomfortable meeting) between the characters. In both scenes, Rampling offers tea and makes some comments about the choice of tea. In both scenes, a maid is asked to bring the tea and an old photograph of the father of Ramplings character is discussed and becomes important to the scene.

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Goofs

Raimund is watching the pharmacy from outside and Older Jorge is smoking inside a pharmacy attending customers. The law in Portugal strictly prohibits smoking in any building since 2008. But in pharmacies, long before that it was almost unthinkable to see pharmaceuticals to smoke while attending customers. Although it gives impact to the character of Older Jorge, it is almost impossible to see that in 21st century in Portugal.

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Quotes

Raimund Gregorius: [to his opponent, after making a move in a chess game he is playing against himself] That'll get you thinking...

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Connections

Referenced in The Salesman (2016)

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Soundtracks

Lisboa
Composer: Annette Focks
Portugese Guitar: Damiel Pircher
Sound Mixer: Tom Tautorat
Recording & Mix Studio: Emil Berlin Studios

User Reviews

Interesting and brooding drama/thriller with all-star-cast , fabulous performances , enjoyable intrigue and evocative scenarios

This is an Europudding co-produced by Germany/Switzerland/Portugal , it deals with Raimund Gregorius (Jeremy Irons) , a Swiss Professor, abandons his lectures and buttoned-down life to embark on a thrilling adventure that will take him on a journey to the very heart of himself . Having saved an enticing Portuguese girl from leaping to her death, Gregorius stumbles upon an attractive novel by a Portuguese author, as he figures out the destination of a certain writer named Amadeu (Jack Huston) , a doctor and poet who fought against Portuguese dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. When he arrived in Lisboa , he was welcomed by the writer's sister (Charlotte Rampling) and learned that Amadeu was a medic . Then , he was hit by a man riding a bicycle and smashed . On the day he took his new glasses, the optician (Martina Gedeck) told him that her uncle knew Amadeu well and would like to talk to him . Her uncle, João Eça, (Tom Courtenay) was in the resistance against Salazar dictatorship together with Amadeu . Gregorius acts as an investigator, pulling together pieces of a puzzle that involves suspense , twists and the highest possible stakes to lead unexpected consequences .

It is a correct adaptation based on the international best selling novel written by Pascal Mercier from the award winning director Billie August . This moving film contains suspense , plot twists , a love story , thrills , emotional intrigue and political events . This is a thought-provoking film proceeded in real sense and high sensibility . Though rather existential and thinky, it is ultimately charming . Director Billie August brings out the story through a series of flashbacks . Each flashback is a piece of the puzzle, framing the story and slowly filling in the center until the final piece unsatisfyingly drops into place to resolve the whole . The flashback technique has been used and re-used from ¨Citizen Kane¨ (1941), known by some as the best movie of all time, it gave the world the first plot device by means of flashbacks , following to ¨The Godfather¨ and recently ¨The hours¨ until today we are faced with ¨Night Train to Lisbon¨ (2013), a film destined for repeated use as schedule filling on inventory-building, loved by some attracted by the name of Jeremy Irons and ignored by everyone else . Very good acting from Jeremy Irons as an aging Swiss professor of classical languages , Jack Huston a young Amadeu , gorgeous Melanie Laurent as a mysterious revolutionary girl , Martina Gedeck as Mariana and August Diehl as Young Jorge O'Kelly . Furthermore , the veterans Tom Courtenay , Lena Olin and Bruno Ganz . And special mention to Charlotte Rampling , though Vanessa Redgrave was originally cast for the role of Adriana De Prado, however Rampling replaced her.

The motion picture was well directed by Billie August who repeats similar formula to ¨House of the spirits¨ as German production , Lisboa filming , international cast and Jeremy Irons as main starring . Twice winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Pelle the conqueror (1987) and The best intentions (1992) , Billie August is an expert on literary adaptations such as ¨Les Miserables¨, ¨Smilla's Sense of Snow¨ , ¨House of the spirits¨, ¨Marie Kroyer¨, ¨Jerusalem¨ and this ¨Night Train to Lisbon¨ . Rating : Better than average , worthwhile watching . The picture will appeal to Jeremy Irons fans .

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Switzerland Germany Portugal

Language:

English Portuguese

Release Date:

6 December 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Night Train to Lisbon

Filming Locations:

Caxias, Portugal

Box Office

Budget:

EUR7,700,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,020,387

Company Credits

Production Co:

Studio Hamburg Filmproduktion, C-Films AG, PalmStar Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1