The Railway Man

R

Released Apr 11, 2014

1 hr. 48 min.

History

Drama

Biography

List

68%

127 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a former British army officer and POW, discovers that the Japanese interpreter who tortured him is still alive. He and his new wife (Nicole Kidman) set out to confront the man who caused him so much pain.

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Critics Consensus

Understated to a fault, The Railway Man transcends its occasionally stodgy pacing with a touching, fact-based story and the quiet chemistry of its stars.

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Igor S

I read about the real story about these 2 ex soldiers many years ago and confess i don't know much about it but i get the feeling that this movie should have been alot better, especially when given such a powerful act like life long trauma and forgiveness. Some characters weren't as fleshed out as they should have been; some things happen to fast and the movie is filled with repetitive scenes. Although i understand the repetitiveness, because often times, that how the lifes of people with trauma seem like to them, there is no excuse for the rest. A powerful, real life story like this has so much potential that it's a shame it was never fully realized. The true heart of the movie tho (forgiveness and the healing that comes from it) is definitely here and it is impactful. It's worth seeing just for that message alone.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/28/24

Full Review

Wayne M

I give this 2 stars and 5 yawns. Based on an interesting true story, though The Railway Man fails to deliver.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

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Ronald H

Ignore the cynical critics who dissed this movie. They're in the minority anyway. The movie has its flaws---the characters are not as deeply drawn as they could be,; Lomax's marriage is sketched too quickly; Nicole Kidman's part is underwritten. But the movie's message is so powerful and presented with such integrity, the minor shortcomings are irrelevant. I would add that films that use non-chronological storytelling often annoy me. It seems like a cheap and unnecessary trick But here, for some reason, it works.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/06/24

Full Review

Hatsuhito S

自分たちのことは棚にあげた戦勝国の都合の映画。テーマは怒りの抑制は相手を赦すこと？

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/27/23

Full Review

Chris J

Although this mini series had some corny moments and dramatic overacting, I honestly thought it was very well made and did offer some epic scenes. I recommend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/23

Full Review

Simon M

Not as good as the Chernobyl or Fukushima dramas but pretty good. The dubbed version suffers from stereotypical Indian accents but certainly worth a view.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/21/23

Full Review

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Jonathan Teplitzky

Director

Colin Firth

Eric Lomax

Nicole Kidman

Patti Lomax

Jeremy Irvine

Young Eric

Stellan Skarsgård

Finlay

Hiroyuki Sanada

Nagase

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

Fortunately, the unwieldy structure doesn’t obscure the quality performances...

Aug 24, 2022

Full Review

Edward Porter

Times (UK)

[An] absorbing, slightly exaggerated account of a true story...

Aug 22, 2022

Full Review

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

It's well acted, with a few moments of remarkable intensity, but it's not a journey you'd rush to take.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 6, 2017

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“The Railway Man” works because of the amazing story and the fabulous performances who bring it to life.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 24, 2022

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

The Railway Man packs an emotional punch to move even the coldest heart; so powerful you feel the pain, you feel burdens lift as demons are faced, you feel the forgiveness fill the screen and the room, and just watching you are lifted and uplifted.

Dec 14, 2019

Full Review

Katie Smith-Wong

Flick Feast

Director Teplitzky lacks narrative power behind what should be a traumatic experience. When you see more poignancy in the end credits rather than the actual film, it is a sign to show where the real strength of the story lies.

Rated: 2.5/5

Nov 21, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a former British army officer and POW, discovers that the Japanese interpreter who tortured him is still alive. He and his new wife (Nicole Kidman) set out to confront the man who caused him so much pain.

Director: Jonathan Teplitzky
Executive Producer: Claudia Bluemhuber, Ian Hutchinson, Zygi Kamasa, Nick Manzi, Daria Jovicic, Anand Tucker
Screenwriter: Frank Cottrell Boyce, Andy Paterson
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Archer Street Productions
Rating: R (Disturbing POW Violence)
Genre: History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 11, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 11, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.4M

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