The Man on the Train (L’homme du train) (2003)
87%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 4 nominations
A lovely, contemplative character study with two wonderful performances at its center
If you’re looking for a heartwarming movie about an unlikely friendship, The Man on the Train is the perfect pick. With a cast of talented actors who bring their characters to life, you’ll be rooting for them from start to finish. Plus, the provincial atmosphere and poetic dialogue make it feel like you’re watching a classic novel come to life on the big screen. Don’t miss out on this touching tale of two men finding something they lack in each other.
Production Company(ies)
Ashton Productions, The Mirisch Corporation,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language and some violence
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 9, 2003 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Johnny Hallyday, Jean Rochefort, Jean-François Stévenin, Charlie Nelson, Pascal Parmentier, Isabelle Petit-Jacques, directed by Patrice Leconte, written by Claude Klotz, comedy, drama, R rating, box office gross $2.5M, reviewed by Steven D Greydanus, Roger Moore, Jan Stuart, Rene Rodriguez, Lisa Kennedy, Robert Denerstein, Yasser Medina, Sean Axmaker, Anton Bitel, Jay Antani, Jeffrey Overstreet, character study, friendship, bank robbery, retirement, adventure, masculinity, French language, Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital, Scope (2.35:1), produced by Philippe Carcassonne, distributed by Paramount Pictures
Worldwide gross: $7,281,450
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $13,573,212
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,859
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,480,176
US/Canada gross: $7,281,450
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $13,573,212
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,520
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,020,015
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $5,629,552
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,075
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $18,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $33,553,456
Production budget ranking: 1,085
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $18,068,536
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$38,048,780
ROI to date (est.): -74%
ROI ranking: 1,826
Johnny Hallyday – Milan
Jean-François Stévenin – Luigi
Charlie Nelson – Max
Pascal Parmentier – Sadko
Isabelle Petit-Jacques – Viviane
Director(s)
Patrice Leconte
Writer(s)
Claude Klotz
Producer(s)
Philippe Carcassonne
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (115) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (106) | Rotten (9)
October 29, 2008 | Rating: B
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
Each actor comes to perfectly embody his character.
July 11, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Patrice Leconte’s fanciful odd-couple drama oozes flavorful, provincial atmosphere.
June 27, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Jan Stuart
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
Under Leconte’s artful direction, a believable bond develops between the men, each envious of the direction the other’s life has taken.
June 6, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
It is a perfected fable flashing across a screen.
June 6, 2003 | Rating: 4/4
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
The actors couldn’t be more perfect.
June 6, 2003 | Rating: B+
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
I’m pleasantly surprised by this crime drama directed by Patrice Leconte. The humor, the dialogues that bear the stamp of sobriety and a very intriguing plot keeps it away from artifice. [Full review in Spanish]
July 18, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
… a well-tuned character piece starring screen legend Jean Rochefort and French pop icon Johnny Hallyday as strangers with nothing in common whose chance meeting sparks a powerful friendship.
December 16, 2017
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand
The Man On The Train uses the genre of the crime film to explore the existential crisis of masculinity, and the conclusion it reaches is a similarly bleak affirmation of the codes of heroism.
December 9, 2017
Anton Bitel
Projected Figures
Laconte’s direction is calculative all the way, but his telling fails to register very much.
August 19, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
Jay Antani
Cinema Writer
A bizarre yet touching tale of gangster and recluse finding in each other something they lack, the film definitely warrants a look.
June 21, 2007 | Rating: B+
Jason Gorber
Film Scouts
You get the feeling you are watching the adaptation of a classic novel, when in fact the script is an original work of impressive poetry and unpredictable dialogue…
January 15, 2005 | Rating: A-
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer…
Plot
Maureen is pregnant and her husband Eddie is missing. Nervous, Maureen shares a couple of drinks with neighbor Kiefer, who tries to rape her and then beats her. When Eddie returns and finds his wife bruised, he goes ballistic, shoots a paramedic and is put in a psychiatric institution. Ten years later, Eddie is released and finds that Maureen has divorced him and is remarried with three children, one of whom is his little girl Jeanie. Eddie goes to reclaim his wife.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
French rocker Johnny Hallyday stars in this comedy/drama as a beleaguered old thief.
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