Night Train

'Night Train' is sort of a chamber movie that takes place in the compartments of a train. Made at a low budget (which actually works to its benefits), the film uses glowing lights. This adds to the tense atmosphere and mystery element and the bright colours used within the train compartments bring a feeling of illusion. The story starts off interesting but is downright predictable not to forget the typical Hollywood ending which brings the film down by a huge notch. Acting is okay. Danny Glover is restrained (which is quite unexpected of such films). Steve Zahn's Pete is a caricature but the actor infuses some humour and provides comic relief. Leelee Sobieski is good in the beginning but her performance heads towards 'cliched psychopath' as the film proceeds. Overall, in terms of story it doesn't offer anything new and there are plenty of plot holes but what I liked about it was the atmosphere within the train compartments. It sort of looks like a noire film in colour. The use of bright colours, the strange passengers, the characters: salesman, med student and ticket conductor and music create contribute to this bizarre atmosphere. I also liked how the wooden box was symbolically used. Pandora's box is the first thing that comes to mind and the writer could have done so much with it, but alas!

Sometimes the synopsis of a film just calls out to me. I can't always put my finger on exactly what it is, but something just screams at me that I have to see that film. Quite often it leads me down the track of watching some abysmal films, but that was not the case when it came to 'Night Train'. What I found instead was a little gem (so to speak).

I love films set entirely in one place. Always have done. And trains are one of my favourite settings too because although they're all one place, each cabin can be entirely different, and characters can be in the story without a clue as what is actually going on around them. 'Night Train' was a surprisingly suspenseful ride from start to finish. It achieved what very few modern horror/thrillers manage to do and that is to get me on the edge of my seat and keep me there. Leelee Sobieski had a lot to do with this. She was a real presence on the screen and kept me hooked with everything she said and did.

There's a real creepy atmosphere throughout this one. It has very much a 'Twilight Zone' feel to it, only with slightly better actors, a little more action and obviously a touch longer. I also loved the underlying psychology of the story. We really are a strange race sometimes. I loved this film and if you are able to track it down somewhere please give it a watch. You'll be pleased you did.

I'm a fan of low budget film-making and I am convinced that from the truly talented filmmakers monetary limitations bring out the best in terms of creativity.

Night Train is basically a chamber piece. The whole story takes place within the compartments of a long train riding relentlessly through the darkness on Christmas eve. All the exterior shots are rather cheap looking CGI of the passenger train going ahead in the snow blizzard which in itself is not distracting, on the contrary - the darkness outside increases the gloomy, disturbing atmosphere inside the train. The set design is problematic though. The interior of the train makes it look like we're in the past, early in the last century. I was under the impression that that was the case - even the way people dress in the movie fueled this conviction - but then around 40 minutes into the film one of the characters uses a cell phone.

Although the tech credits are okay, by the look of the inside of the train I could see the film was shot somewhere in Eastern Europe and firing up IMDb I saw I was right. So it's not the dodgy CGI but the unnecessarily confusing set design what gives away the low budget of the film.

Plotwise it's all seen it all before. Many people refer to Shallow Grave in the threads here - yes, the setup recalls that movie, but then halfway through the story it takes a turn into a far more mysterious direction. Problem is, up until that time the plot is very predictable and goes through the usual motions (albeit in fast forward, given the time constraints) as characters debate what to do with the dead body and the loot, begin to act suspiciously to each other and to outsiders then ultimately turn on each other. This mechanical plot takes over from characterization, so after the twist in the midpoint when events become less predictable it's hard to really care because the characters remain thin and uninteresting.

Acting is okay, Danny Glover gives a low-key performance that suits the purposes of the film, while Zahn apparently tries to bring out the best of his clichéd role. Leelee Sobielski is quite convincing at first with her deadpan reactions and attitude but later gives a kind of performance which is borderline comic - I am not sure if this was intentional.

The unfortunate set design and some grave credibility issues (I am no expert of US police procedure but the way a detective handles the situation later on in the film seems quite ridiculous, plus even on Christmas it is hard to imagine only a handful of people would take a train that has a dozen carriages, a working bar and kitchen but no other staff than two attendants) make this a slightly worse than average movie.

In the cast & crew interviews on the DVD, the name "Hitchcock" is mentioned by multiple people multiple times. Whether or not "Night Train" will strike you as a Hitchcockian thriller, one thing can be said without a doubt: it was highly, brazenly, unapologetically influenced by the master of suspense, old Alfie.

That means it contains all of the following: suspense, action, comedy, innuendo, morality, heaps of character psychology, psychosis, an amusingly pompous Victorian old lady or two (recall that Hitchcock was schooled by nuns) and another Hitchcock trademark: a little dog. Those are the superficial similarities, and yes, you can watch this film simply for its entertainment value and have a great time. But to me, the beauty of Hitchcock and similarly "Night Train" is that you can dig below the surface and have a great time experiencing what the story is really about.

For the sake of this review, I'll assume that describes you if you read further. If not, the other reviews here on IMDb have covered the bases as far as entertainment value. On that point I'll just summarize by saying that this is a very fast-paced, interesting, sometimes-gory-sometimes-humorous, dreamlike film that will keep your attention from start to finish, even though the story is linear. It packs enough twists to keep things at a boil until the end.

Now about the deeper themes, the real substance that made films like Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train", "Blackmail" and "Rope" such classics. This movie has a simple story that revolves around a bunch of people fighting over a "MacGuffin". A "Macguffin" is a term Hitchcock used to describe the central object that makes everyone act the way they do, and yet, it doesn't matter what it is. What matters is how characters react to it. In spy movies, the Macguffin was often the microfilm or the secret files. In crime capers, the Macguffin is usually money or jewels. In "Night Train" the Macguffin is simply a wooden box. Thus, the director is making a sort of joke, telling us "it don't get any more 'Macguffin' than this, folks!" Once we accept the premise that everyone is fighting over this box, we understand what the real film is about. It's about how people change when consumed by desire for something. Note that it's not just about greed, lust or material possession. Instead, it's a bit more complex: the box represents HOPE.

And that, my friends, is what makes this a great film. Pay attention to the different characters and how they react to the promise of their own greatest hope. Not everyone turns into ruthless killers (although, as you can guess, at least one person does!). A few characters become remarkably more human when infused with hope. I won't say who they are for fear of ruining it, but let's just say the acting was fantastic.

If you're starting to nod off, don't worry. There are a few murders, a bunch of blood, maybe a decapitation or two, Leelee Sobieski showing some skin (though no outright nudity), some very tense action and some genuinely funny moments (the satirical humor, as if sometimes poking fun at all the thriller clichés, is a lot of fun).

Filmed entirely in East Europe--almost completely on board a train which was built specifically for this film--the movie carries a timeless, location-less, surreal vibe as if in a dream. Certain props are antique looking while other elements are distinctly modern. That is to say, "Night Train" is completely cut off from reality, and that's the way it should be approached. It's really like a fable more than a traditional thriller story.

If you're a fan of the old Hitchcock flicks as well as John Huston ("The Maltese Falcon") and others of that genre, you should check out "Night Train" for a fun, modern spin on that classic way of storytelling.

Leelee Sobieski, Danny Glover, and Steve Zahn give life to their characters as people overcome with greed (or hope) for a better life. What starts out as an innocent "finders keepers" tale turns into a lemming march to destruction.

The story is about three strangers whose lives intersect while traveling at night on a train during the Christmas holidays. Sobieski is Chloe, a biology/med student unhappy with her future prospects of following a career not of her choosing. Danny Glover is the aging conductor whose family is desperately in need of additional financial support that he cannot provide. Zahn is a wannabe salesman whose life story seems to be one of alcohol abuse and failure. The story swirls around these strangers as they try to hold onto a box of riches which can fulfill their dreams.

Although obviously a low budget production, the suspense is well paced, the action sequences are timed perfectly and the characters are all empathetic (especially Glover's character, the conductor). Only one fault I find with the movie is a couple of minutes of totally unnecessary gore. Otherwise a solid piece of film making and storytelling.