User Reviews

A good story with a good cast, told in a nice way for everyone to feel, experience and ask himself questions about life. Life as encounters, as crashes and as sharing - sharing moments, sharing places, sharing memories.

A friend says: "Only the people that are alive and have the memory of you can be the true witnesses of your existence on Earth, otherwise - have we been really alive?!...".

You meet people every day in your life, but it is just when you collide with them - voluntarily or not, when they share their life with you and you share yours with them.

I encourage you to take this train. Its worth it! :)

Night Train to Lisbon is one of the most philosophical movies to hit theaters in the last couple of years. The trip started by Raimund is not between places but between identities. An existential journey into the great unknown of the soul. Some say we take ourselves everywhere we go. This movie tries to tell us instead that we *find* ourselves in those places, we discover a new way of seeing with our own eyes and, when we leave, a part of us stays in that place forever. Returning there is a way of visiting ourselves, like we would an old friend... There's so many layers, so many subtle metaphors, so much poetry in the imagery and storytelling, that despite being such a straightforward story you can't help feeling like you're walking through a maze, a labyrinth of emotions and thoughts, where present, past and future merge into a vast uplifting eternity. One of the best crafted uses of mise-en-abîme i recall ever seeing in a movie! Raimund is Raimund, but he's also Pascal Mercier, and also Amadeu Prado and also You. There's a fiction within a fiction here: a book within a book within a movie. A lie within a lie: a poet within a reader, within a spectator, within a person. This dilution between fiction and reality and between the actor and the audience often occurs, but rarely is it ever a theme, rarely is it ever presented as a question to the audience and rarely so beautifully answered. This game of mirrors will leave you full of wonder and hungry for life. There couldn't be a better outcome for a story that starts with a suicide attempt... There's too many reasons to watch this movie and too little space to review it properly unfortunately... The scenery of Lisbon, the universal anguish of the characters, the excruciating portrayal of the Portuguese dictatorship, the lessons it offers on some of the most important questions one can ask oneself... Do yourself a favor and go see it!

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 .

In Bern, Switzerland, the teacher Raimund Gregorius (Jeremy Irons) saves a young woman from committing suicide jumping off a bridge and brings her to the school where he works. During his class, she leaves the building and Raimund unsuccessfully runs after her to give her coat back. He finds a book, "Um Ourives das Palavras" (A Goldsmith of the Words) written by the Portuguese Amadeu de Almeida Prado (Jack Huston) in the pocket and he goes to the bookstore stamped on the first page and discovers that the book was sold on the previous day to the woman. He finds a train ticket to Lisbon that will departure in fifteen minutes inside the book and he goes to the Central Station expecting to find the woman. He embarks in the train to Lisbon and reads the book, becoming fascinated with the story. When he arrives in Lisbon, Raimund decides to stay in the city to meet Amadeu. He finds his house, where his sister Adriana (Charlotte Rampling) lives, and soon he discovers that Amadeu is dead. Raimund decides to research the life of Amadeu, who was a doctor and writer that belonged to the resistance against the dictator Salazar, and his discoveries affect his own boring life.

"Night Train to Lisbon" is a movie with a tedious beginning, when the lead character leaves his students in their classroom and travels to Lisbon in a senseless situation. Then there is serendipity, when he has an accident and breaks his glasses, and the doctor introduces him to her uncle that was a friend of Amadeu. But the development of the plot like a puzzle and the open conclusion are excellent and makes worthwhile watching this movie. The excellent European cast is another great attraction. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Trem Noturno para Lisboa" ("Night Train to Lisbon")

Night Train to Lisbon (2013)

A remarkable movie, with shades of magic and threads of a true national angst still resolving in contemporary Portugal. I just returned from a visit there and can sense some vestige of another era in the buildings, but not in the people. The era of dictatorship is no longer visible to the tourist.

But that is the meat of the movie, set after Salazar's long reign, and with the aftermath of memories and lost ones still mourned. But it's all told (based on a novel by a Swiss writer) as if in a dream, or in an individual's search through imprecise information and people who don't always talk about it the way you might expect. It's a series of small surprises, elegantly wrought.

So in all these ways it's a powerful movie. It's small and intimate, however, not an epic about this great turning point in Portuguese history. In a way it's appropriate, because I found the people there less exuberant and more contemplative than the Spaniards next door. There are always a million reasons for such things—climate, outside cultural influences, etc.—but it's so true that the movie is actually terribly honest. It reveals the truth, in little facets, and never complete.

The star certainly is Jeremy Irons, who plays the leading role with tenderness and quiet certitude. He's terrific, and perfect for this part. Also appearing is Charlotte Rampling who has a knack for small, odd, but critical roles in offbeat movies. The cast is wide, and in the many flashbacks the characters gradually intersect in different ways, revealing their personal connections to the political strife of the times.

Good stuff? Excellent stuff! I liked it more than I expected to. It's slow at times, and maybe (if you are not paying attention) a hair confusing, but give it a go if you are inclined at all. A serious, brooding but not depressing drama about, in the end, relationship. As all the best movies are.

I am glad that I saw this movie. It was based on the novel which tells about a Swiss professor called Raimund who saves a young woman from jumping off the bridge. Then the girl disappears, so the Raimund got her red coat and a book. He starts to read it to find why she was trying to kill herself. That he finds something deep inside which is more than he had in his life. So he abandons his class in half way and pursue the thrilling adventurous quest to find more about the person he read in the book. Everything he was curious about is only grows bigger than he imagined. He meets many people regarding that book and they tell the same stories from each of their own perspectives which happened in back 70s. Now, Rainmund asks one question himself after knowing everything and it might be yours too if you saw the movie.

The movie looked exact copy of a novel, like I read some novel. The story telling which transforms the screen constantly between now and 70s were clearly maintained with its destination until the last 10- 20 minutes. Once you know the final conclusion, you may say is that it's because some of you might expect something bigger. But the middle aged or older guys who had experienced life very well will know the meaning of it. Yeah I believe the movie might more suitable for those kinda audience than youngsters.

It was a nice performance by such a great British actor Jeremy Irons. Like I said the story had two diversions, one which set in present time and another in 70s. The present time tale was totally ruled by Jeremy Irons, I liked it more than the 70s tale. The problem with flashback story was its ending, it was very simple especially I expected bit detailed explanation behind character Amadeu's death. And also his failed relationship with Estafania could have been more reasonable. However I am not disappointed with the movie, it was a quite nice drama, in fact awesome. I am not a book fanatic but I love movies based on the novels especially movie like 'Night Train to Lisbon' I won't miss. I say you must go for it if you like the movies which gives more priority to innovative characters than usual theme.

8/10

There were many reasons for wanting to see 'Night Train to Lisbon'. Lisbon is such a beautiful city, the premise and book are just fascinating and really wanted to see the film in full after seeing a couple of clips online. Billie August is not a favourite of mine when it comes to directors but has been responsible for some great work, evidenced by being one of very few (only eight) directors to win the Palme D'Or twice which is a big honour.

'Night Train to Lisbon's' main draw for me was the cast. A cast that includes Jeremy Irons, Tom Courtenay, Lena Olin, Bruno Ganz, Christopher Lee, Martina Gedeck and Charlotte Rampling is very difficult to resist, Irons and Lee especially are favourites of mine and like a lot of Courtenay's work too. Seeing the whole film yesterday, while it falls short of greatness to me there was much to admire about it. 'Night Train to Lisbon' is not for everybody, it may be too slow-paced and too talky for some and a fair share of critics found it to be the case. Personally find it very under-valued, despite coming across a lot of people online who did like it, thought it did its premise justice and wasn't bothered as much by what critics didn't like about it.

It's not flawless, the back and forth between timelines is at times is not always as clear or natural in flow as it should be with some of the chronology in the flashbacks jumping about a little.

Some of the events in the modern day happen too conveniently and at times the first third or so when the story was just setting up was a little sluggish and over-wordy.

Once 'Night Train to Lisbon' got going and Raimund and the audience learn more, it becomes a very thoughtful and engaging film with a good amount of emotional impact (especially towards the end), each revelation being intriguing and not too predictable. Respectfully do disagree with those that say that the flashbacks had no tension or suspense, found the latter ones when the revolution became more violent edge of the seat suspenseful. The political elements thankfully are not laid on too thick and considering the time period it was so easy to fall into that trap. Liked too the charming and gentle approach to the modern day scenes, particularly apparent in the chemistry between Raimund and Marianna.

Visually, 'Night Train to Lisbon' looks a treat. It is absolutely beautifully shot and anybody who has not been to Lisbon will find themselves to book a trip there, the film perfectly captures the beauty of it without feeling like a holiday travelogue. The music score really stuck in my mind after watching the film and is still in my head now, loved the understatement and pathos it brought. August directs solidly and the script, while too wordy in places, is very thoughtful, very layered and intelligent, wasn't confused by any of it and wasn't irked by Raimund's intriguing questioning. Some may find the ending abrupt, actually appreciated that it didn't end in a way that could potentially be too pat.

What is especially good about 'Night Train to Train' is the cast, some suspect accents aside. August did two films with Jeremy Irons, this and 'House of the Spirits' twenty years or so previous. Don't know how this opinion is going to go down with people, but found this to be the better film and despite the role here being less complex also prefer Irons' performance in this film. His performance is one of his most subtle with telling expressions and warm as chocolate delivery, but he is wholly successful in making a character meant to be "boring" very compelling and easy to identify with, and totally carries the modern day scenes which wouldn't have had as much impact without him. It is a wonderful performance and among his better recent years ones. He shares great chemistry with a charming Martina Gedeck, equally good in his scenes with Tom Courtenay and a pretty moving one with frail but still commanding as ever Christopher Lee in one of his last roles. The younger cast do just as good a job, especially Jack Huston showing that with good material he can be good and Melanie Laurent. Charlotte Rampling also gives a deeply felt performance in a small but important role.

Concluding, well worth your time. 7/10

I found this movie more like a great book, the pace was such that you could synchronize with the dialogue and think about what was going on. I was only vaguely aware that there had been a dictatorship in Portugal during the 70s so this was an important revelation. I did know that Portugal was slowly pulling out of its various foreign colonial possessions, as most European powers did after World War II.

I could not help thinking of there being a connection between Amadeu de Prado and the world famous Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. The shots of Lisbon are wonderful, the beautiful harbour and hilly narrow streets. I could imagine Vasco da Gama's fleet leaving the port during Portugal's period of world exploration. The acting was superb, Jeremy Irons was the perfect Prof. On the surface absent minded and intellectual, but in practice, seizing the moment with an iron courage to probe the truth no matter where it led, but with a sense of humour knowing that nothing in life is all black or white. Martina Gedeck was so believable and you like her more and more with each shot. Tom Courtney's performance as João Eça was amazing but scary when you realize what happens to ordinary people during extraordinary times.

Many themes are encountered such as friendship, betrayal, and life as a chaotic process without any divine guidance. My hope is at the end of the film our professor needed a second adjustment for his new glasses.

"Night Train to Lisbon," an especially engrossing 2013 film now appearing on Netflix, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those hungry for a movie without flying cars that instead pulls you in with an unusual plot and thoughtful, incisive performances by an exceptionally capable cast, this one's for you.

The film was nominated for six Sophia Awards _ the national film awards of Portugal _ including best picture, and won three, for best supporting actress (Beatrice Bartarda), best art direction and best make-up.

Directed by Bille August ("Pelle the Conqueror"), "Night Train to Lisbon" was adapted from a philosophical novel by Swiss author Pascal Mercier.

Mercier's quotations are spoken in voice-over by the film's protagonist, Raimund Gregorius, played by Oscar winner Jeremy Irons, a quiet, lonely classical studies professor working in Bern, Switzerland, who rescues a young woman about to leap off a bridge and after she disappears, finds himself on a quest to Lisbon, not only to find her but to fully understand the story of a doctor-turned-poet whose book he discovers in the pocket of the coat she leaves behind.

The story isn't as dense or contrived as it sounds, thanks to the deft screenplay by Greg Latter and Ulrich Herrmann, and the uniform commitment to character and plot by Irons and a cast that includes veterans Tom Courtenay, Charlotte Rampling, Christpher Lee and Lena Olin.

It's the kind of story that sucks us in because it's a kind of "getaway" piece: Who doesn't daydream in a Walter Mittyish way of getting away from it all and taking off on an historical detective story, which is what this is.

Once in Portugal, Irons' Gregorius sets about on a quest for the author but instead finds his sister, Adriana (Rampling as the mature version, Batarda as the younger), and learns that Amadeu died in 1974 and that only 100 copies of his book were printed. The sister has six of the books and, wondering what happened to the rest, is delighted to find that her late brother's limited edition work found an audience beyond her country's borders. Thus, a tenuous but all-important bond is formed between the soft-spoken, insightful professor and the poet's sibling.

The movie intersperses Raimund's investigation with flashbacks to a past in which we meet the young Amadeu (a superb Jack Huston), a member of the resistance to the dictatorship of António Salazar.

Through Adriana, Raimund meets the priest (Lee) who taught Amadeu, Amadeu's best friend, Jorge (Bruno Ganz in the older version, August Diehl in the younger), and learns of Estefania (the fiery Mélanie Laurent), a resistance fighter who was Jorge's girlfriend until she met and fell instantly in love with the handsome Amadeu.

After Raimund breaks his spectacles, he meets a sympathetic optician Mariana (Martina Gedeck) who by happenstance has an uncle named Joao (Courtenay as the elder version, Marco D'Almeida as the youthful one) who was also a member of the resistance and fills in the story. Late in the film, the strings of the plot are pulled together when Raimund finally meets the mature Estefania (a stunningly beautiful and completely believable Olin).

As I said, "Night Train to Lisbon" isn't for everyone, especially for those accustomed to tons of action and instant gratification via computer wizardry and slam bang eye-for-an-eye retribution, but it did it for me. It's extraordinarily literate and sumptuously photographed to boot, and it's not a stretch to say it contains threads of David Lean's wonderful 1965 film version of "Doctor Zhivago," albeit on a much smaller scale.

I was especially drawn to Irons' professor, a sensationally muted performance that holds the whole thing together.

Since you'll probably be watching this in your living room, "Night Train to Lisbon" is rated R (under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for a scene of violence and brief sexuality (which really aren't all that bad).

And will see it again. It's a beautiful piece of work. Not an actor out of place, not a line missaid. A classic. Buy it, keep it. And remember that Fascist Portugal was yesterday.

Irons plays Ray, a dull Swiss professor going through a middle-life crisis. Shaken up by a girl attempting suicide and then disappearing, Ray decided to follow her, the only trace being a ticket to Lisbon. In Lisbon the story shifts between past and present, with the history past being nothing more than a variation of the love triangle.

In the 70's Amadeus and Jorge, two friends from different background, fall in "love" with the same girl, the twist being that they are mixed up with the so-called "resistance" against the Salazar dictatorship. Since not many know much about Portugal, they may be fooled into believing that the Portuguese resistance was akin to the French during WWII. It wasn't so. The "resistance" had no part whatsoever in overturning a regime that was pretty mild compared to the Nazi or even the Facist. There are no estimates of Salazar's victims, but the number is believed to be very low, possibly less than 100 in 50 years of regime.

Regardless of that, Amadeu is the rich doctor, whose father is compromised with the regime, while Jorge is the proletarian who brings Estefania into his bed and into a revolutionary cell.

In the present Ray discovers these mildly dramatic events and what happened to Estefania when she disappeared from Lisbon. Amadeus and Estefania were attracted to each other, but did not dare to act out on their passion until a night of disorders, when they kissed. Jorge saw them, tried to kill Estefania and prompted their escape to Spain.

In a most implausible move, Estefania is a "revolutionary" seeking shelter in equally tyrannical Spain, under the rule of Franco. Not only that, but just after having opened up about their passion, Estefania dumps Amadeu abruptly, under a silly excuses, thus destroying the whole romantic plot. The anticlimax could not have been bigger.

In the present Ray sort of falls for Mariana, the niece of yet another "resistance" member - what a coincidence! who helps him retrace Estefania. And what about the suicidal girl? She's just a side note in an already crowded scenario.

I might buy the implausibility that sets the plot in motion, if there was an actual plot to follow. Unfortunately, what follows is just a series of randomly connected events that help Ray discover an underwhelming mystery from the 70s.

I just saw it this evening in Rome-- Well done--and although I was not familiar with the book--I will read it now.

The style of "movie within a movie" reminds one of Fowles "the French Lieutenants Wife" and Truffaut "Day for night" but MUCH better done than both of those.

Wonderful story of the randomness of life---and how that random event allowed three close friends during the dictatorship in Portugal to finally discover what had happened to each other. It took a stranger to complete --and resolve--the major event of their lives.

Jeremy Iron was as usual terrific---and reminded me of his role in House of the Spirits--in a similar political setting of the fascist times in Chile.

Deeply intense, dramatically fulfilling--it kept me on the edge of my seat.

Bravo

In Bern, Switzerland, a professor (Jeremy Irons) has a chance encounter that lures him to temporarily abandon his life and take the mode of transportation from the film's title. Once in Lisbon, he researches the life of an author whose book intrigued him so much to encourage him to take this adventure. The book's author had been involved in the Portuguese resistance movement against the country's dictatorship in the early 1970s. Much of the story of the past is told in flashback.

"Night Train to Lisbon " falls into the category of 'Euro pudding'. It takes place in Switzerland, Portugal, and Spain; it was directed by a Dane (Bille August), It was produced by three countries (Germany, Portugal, and Switzerland); and has actors from all of those countries as well as Great Britain, France, and Sweden, all speaking English - most of them doing so in a Portuguese accent. While this may seem inauthentic, the plus-side is the collection of many renowned European actors of long-time experience appear in this film including Irons, Martina Gedeck, Bruno Ganz, Christopher Lee, Lena Olin, Tom Courtenay, and Charlotte Rampling.

The film has many good points including the cast. The on-location shooting in Lisbon is beautiful and an intriguing setback for the two stories. There is also a good lesson in Portuguese history that is rarely told in film.

The best part of the film is the modern story between the professor and an optician (Gedeck) he meets when he needs new eyeglasses. Their conversations reflect the human need to find something deeper in the day-to-day modern life. There are also many beautiful quotations from the book that reflect this.

The story of the past is good too but it loses traction once there is adultery and betrayal among the revolutionaries. There is a feeling this has been done before. At this point, the film is starting to feel too long and the fine style exceeds the substance.

It might have been more interesting to have had more of the story of between the professor and the optician and their reflections of the lives that have brought them to their current situation. At the very least, the wonderfully ambiguous ending between these two is a delight. - dbamateurcritic.

Here's Jeremy Irons doing again what he did all those years back with Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant's Woman; telling a story within a story, but unfortunately not with the same acclaimed results.

Night Train to Lisbon is a dull, plodding affair. Boasting pretensions to being a dramatic thriller, its most exciting scenes occur in the first few minutes, when Irons's Swiss linguistics professor Raimund, happens upon and stops a likely suicide from occurring. From there, it's pretty much all down hill in a train which never manages to work up a full head of steam.

A talented European cast is assembled in what is a handsome looking production and then all asked to speak English with (generally) Portuguese accents. In very much a dialogue-heavy film it doesn't work, just as it didn't work in a similar experiment in Loving Pablo, where a host of Latino actors were all required to speak heavily accented English.

The constant flashbacks just don't allow any building of the slightest degree of suspense and tone to the story. Sadly this strangely almost appears appropriate, when the leading character frequently describes himself as being "boring". I looked forward most to the scenes involving optometrist Mariana played by German actress Martina Gedeck, for the simple reason that her character stood out amongst everyone else, in that she smiled and showed emotions other than those associated with very serious faces.

With its highly experienced and watchable cast (in spite of all the accents) Night Train to Lisbon is hardly a train wreck of a movie, but beware. It is an extremely pedestrian affair. There are likely to be some engrossing stories somewhere concerning Portugal's Salazar dictatorship, but this train won't take you in that direction.

I read the novel in Japanese translation in 2015 and have watched the film only recently, that is in the fall of 2016. Just about a good long time for a Raimund Gregorius character to grow in my mind.

Adaptation of the literature, delicately weaved with two languages i.e. originally written in German with Portuguese quotes everywhere, must have been a lot of hard work. Given that, I reckon that this film adaptation was masterfully done. I was intrigued, like I was in the novel, into the thick narratives of Gregorius.

Sadly, however, one critical element I had enjoyed in the novel was completely missing in the film: luxury of experience, though Gregorius, being left alone in the vast void of ignorance of the Portuguese language. Throughout the story, Gregorius struggled with the Portuguese language in the novel, while in the film, everyone speaks in English.

Having said that, the film's visualization was amazing. I was amusingly impressed by the magic of colors, and a skillful camera work to capture the beauty of the historic town. Needless to say, perhaps, performances are superb. Screenplay were tactful enough to convey the multiple layers of the novel in a way not to confuse the audiences.

If you are reading this, I recommend you to enjoy the film first, and then to pick up the novel. I bet you won't regret it.

This won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's a philosophical (or, perhaps, more accurately, a pseudo-philosophical) journey by a professor who searches for the truth behind events many years ago and the people involved. Some says it's a more general everyman journey. And it may well be but don't get hung up on that.

Although it's essentially slow-paced, the pace is perfect. And it does have lots of drama in the 'past events' scenes and the professor goes through a fair bit of drama and soul-searchin of his own.

It has a top notch cast, great scenery and high production values.

If you want a real story populated by real characters and are not averse to a little philosophical input, you'll love it.

This European movie too, is so subtle in its depiction of life. It seems that I too flew with the story slowly in time, along with the professor, as he went from a boring uneventful life to embark on an adventure of his lifetime, in his old age. I find this peaceful story telling, not losing any of the minutest details, keeping the audience captivated, and doing all of this without the loudness and noisiness of current age mainstream movies, Hollywood and Bollywood included, great relief and source of utmost pleasure and relishment! Don't know why this is rated as low as 6 on IMDb. I would cherish this one as one of the best movies I have seen, along with Amélie and Life is Beautiful.

about meetings and discoveries. about first impulse like entrance in labyrinth of self definition. adaptation of a novel, this film represents more than images from a book. first, for impressive cast who gives perfect nuances to story. than for the opportunity to meet a slice of contemporary Portugues history. and, sure, for love story. it is not one of great movies. but it is correct work of each member of team. and this fact is important. to feel than a part of lead character can be your story. to see the precision of characters making and to remember similar sequences from another movies about same theme. a teacher in middle of past. a booklet as key of an universe who has universal characteristics. and embroidery of a form of happiness. that is all. a delicate film inspired by a good book. so, it is not a bad idea to see it !

A random choice for a Tuesday night movie at my local theatre accompanied by a choc topped ice cream.

This is my type of feel good movie with depth that satisfied my need for an unknown movie with a unknown storyline that hasn't been promoted into insignificance.

The storyline and cast were superb with characters portrayed when they were young and who were also carefully interwoven with their older selves finishing their stories with humour, sadness and wisdom.

Lisbon, Portugal was a beautiful background and a charming location. I would love to holiday there, soon :)

I was entertained from start to finish and will buy the DVD for those lazy days when you want to watch a good move at home.

I should start by saying if you're older (say 45 or more) you should definitely check out this movie. It has some lines in it that are extraordinary and it's worth seeing just for those nuggets. This is one of those movies that talks to you at a personal level. I don't want to describe too much of it because that would ruin the whole point.

But, I will say...

The director moves you along at such a perfect pace that you almost feel like you're floating. The topics aren't casual but he hovers over them at just the right height.

The acting is right on the money, it suits the movie perfectly, no one is out of step.

The story moves seamlessly between past and present, you won't feel a bump anywhere. It's true, the movie is multi-layered, but the straight up story is more than enough.

And the ending is perfect for this type of movie.

It really is worth the watch, but as I mentioned you might need to be a little older to really...

I'm not really a fan of modern day literary stuff, as I find it all very pretentious, overrated, and more than a little arty farty. This is very much a highbrow literary thriller about an aged professor who takes a trip to Portugal to uncover a story about one man's fight against that country's historical dictatorship.

I wasn't expecting to like this one very much and indeed it doesn't do much to thrill. It's a very self-conscious production that goes out of its way to feel like an "actor's movie", but the problem is that it's so slow and long winded that it doesn't hold the attention. I like Jeremy Irons as an actor, but his character here is dull and his modern-day scenes don't deserve to occupy more than half the running time as they feel irrelevant.

The historical story is better, as it has some fine actors in crucial parts, not least the continually underrated Jack Huston (BOARDWALK EMPIRE). There are also superior roles for August Diehl (so memorable in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) and Bruno Ganz (NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE) playing younger and older versions of the same character. However, the most welcome part is a small one from an entirely professional Christopher Lee in one of his last screen appearances, and indeed his presence is the reason I tuned in.

The above statement goes against the philosophy of "Night Train to Lisbon," but that's because I don't agree with the philosophy. My opinion does not take away from this beautiful film because of course, events can be viewed in many different ways.

Jeremy Irons plays Raimund Gregorius, a Swiss Professor. One gets the impression that he leads a well-ordered and probably boring life. On his way to work one morning, he sees a woman about to jump off of a bridge, and he tackles her to the ground. She asks if she can walk with him, which she does, and sits in his schoolroom for a while. Then he notices her leaving. He runs from his classroom and follows her. In her coat, which she has left behind, he finds a train ticket to Lisbon and a book by Amadeu Prado. The train leaves in fifteen minutes. Raimund races to the station, but the girl is nowhere in sight. He boards the train.

Raimund becomes enchanted by Amadeu's writings and wants to find out more about him and meet him. He registers at a hotel, buys some clothes, and starts asking questions and looking for Amadeu.

What he finds is a fascinating story that took place during the Portuguese resistance to the dictator Salazar, It concerns some young people, Amadeu (Jack Huston), his best friend Joao (played as an adult by Tom Courtenay), Jorge (August Diehl/Bruno Ganz), and Estefania (Melanie Laurent/Lena Olin), and their lives then and now.

With the help of his eye doctor Mariana (Martina Gedeck), a priest (Christopher Lee), and others, Raimund puts the pieces of their story together. In doing so, he begins to question his own life and choices. As he tells Mariana, "They lived." He asks himself, has he?

The beauty of Portugal is ever-present in this film, underlying the emotional and suspenseful scenes as Raimund learns the different threads of the story. Jack Huston, so mysterious and sad as the wounded war vet in "Boardwalk Empire," is a completely different character here. He's physically beautiful, gentle, and idealistic. The acting is marvelous, as is Bille August's direction.

This is not a bombastic, blow-up, CGI movie. It moves at a steady pace, not a breakneck one as it explores these people's lives and the writings of Amadeu, and as Raimund talks about randomness and chance. His involvement does indeed seem random, but I was left with a feeling that he was where he was supposed to be, learning what he needed to learn in order to live a fuller life. Whether life is random or not is something none of us know. I do know this is a wonderful, atmospheric film.

Raimund Gregorius (Jeremy Irons) is a teacher in Bern, Switzerland. He saves a young woman from jumping off a bridge. She disappears leaving behind her red coat. The coat leads to a book and a train ticket. Hoping to find the woman at the train station, he abandons his class. When she doesn't show up, he decides to use the train ticket to Lisbon. There he finds the book's late author Amadeu do Prado's sister (Charlotte Rampling). He follows the story of Amadeu's rebellion against his father and society during the revolutionary 70's.

Granted, there are great veteran actors in this movie. Most of whom are in the present day story but most of the drama happens in the past. This dichotomy leaves a hollowness to the story telling. It's hard to understand Raimund's motives. He doesn't seem to care about the young woman from the bridge or at least, he rarely mentions her until she literally tracks him down. Quite frankly, the character doesn't really understand himself. The movie is better off abandoning all the flashbacks and simply go back to the 70's to tell Amadeu's story. This is structurally flawed. His search should be as much about the girl as it is about a long dead author.

The actors do their best but this is a terrible script. It's hard to overstate the banality and pretentious self regard of the writing. The historical context to this love story is a good idea but the script really fails to capture any urgency or weight from the history. Lightweight at best.