Trailer—Metroland

source: Metroland

I liked this movie very much. The actors give great performances and the drama is realistic and interesting. It was nice to see Emily Watson smile, too! She is radiant as the not-so-clueless wife, Marion. Christian Bale is great also.

I liked this movie. Its stars, Christian Bales and Emily Watson, shine with a refreshing innocence. It is one of those pictures where you can regret the time wasted watching it, or reflect on what it means to settle for the suburban lifestyle with its daily commutes to the city, the crying baby in the middle of the night, the sometimes jaded sex. All the time knowing it will continue until you retire. And to look back at the freedom of the young years in Paris with "sex in the afternoon" and not much money. Toni, played by Lee Ross, looking dissolute and hedonistic, blows back into the life of Christian Bales ten years later and tries to make him take the road less travelled by going around the world and living free and easy with no ties. There are then a series of many flashbacks to the carefree years. I liked the way Chris takes the time to evaluate his current life. It is not all about duty and responsibility but choices too and there is a bit of a zinger in the last few scenes. 7 out of 10. A thoughtful adaptation of the novel.

One of Christian Bale's more benign vehicles, an adaptation of Julian Barnes' novel which mixes moods playfully, if not incisively. In 1977, a British married couple in their thirties have their household mildly disrupted after the husband's boyhood best friend sweeps into town, encouraging the man to test the boundaries of his commuter lifestyle. Somewhat reminiscent in content of the British kitchen-sink dramas from the 1960s--and yet innocuous enough to remind one of the later "The Banger Sisters"--the film is solidly-performed and designed, interesting without cutting very deeply. The flashbacks to Bale's young adulthood, living in Paris with dreams of being a professional photographer, are starry-eyed and dewy, helped along by the actor's effective boyishness. The film hopes to paint a portrait of one life which may (subtly) mirror thousands, but it is ultimately too mild and tidy to be a thorough character study. ** from ****

"Metroland isn't a place. It's a state of mind." So says a retired worker, a passenger on a train, to Christian BALE, after they both take some shots at the provincial life of the bourgeois. Bale comes under the influence of an old friend, Toni (LEE ROSS), who reminds him of all the fun they had as swingers in Paris during the '60s. His patient wife at home fully understands his wanderlust. Meanwhile, we see through flashbacks what his life style was like in Paris, unlike the comfortable middle class life he's living in London with his wife (EMILY WATSON). Watson is the kind of pragmatic wife who even suggests casually that he should be having an affair. It's that kind of story. A man caught up in the everyday suburban life with wife and baby clinging to him longs for days of yore and sexual freedom--or at least he thinks he does. All along we're given to think his wife was right about him--he's just an ordinary guy and really not like his best friend, the vagabond poet played in frenzied, sometimes flamboyant style by LEE ROSS, who is incapable of settling down and is perhaps envious of Bale's suburban bliss. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny (the painfully clumsy first sexual experience), it never quite lives up to its potential despite some sensitive performances. Best moment: Before his marriage to Emily Watson, she tells him she's sure he's going to get married some day. "Why?" he asks. "Because you're not original enough not to." Summing up: There are no startling revelations and this examination of compromised dreams remains a rather ordinary drama.

Based on a novel by Julia Barnes. A somewhat comedic drama with strong sexuality. Chris(Christian Bale)and Toni(Lee Ross)are two chums that grew up outside London and shared an aversion to Metroland. Is Metroland a state of mind; or does it mean married with family in the suburbs? They part for ten years...Chris going to Paris and falling in love with a beautiful Frenchwoman, Annick(Elsa Zylberstein). After the affair, Chris has taken back to London another acquaintance, Marion(Emily Watson). When Toni comes for a visit, he finds Chris and Marion married and living in the suburbs. The old friends begin comparing and re-evaluating each others life styles. Is Metroland really just a state of mind after-all? Also appearing are Amanda Ryan, Jonathan Aris and Lucy Speed. I was most impressed with the stunning Zylberstein and her very arousing sex scenes. A very fluid soundtrack features music by Franciose Hardy, Hot Chocolate, Elvis Costello and Dire Straits.

This film adapted from a novel by one of England's best writers, Julian Barnes, was a story to anyone who has been married for a while. Set mainly during 1977, the drama focuses on Chris (Christian Bale) and Tony (Lee Ross), who grew up together in suburban England a decade earlier. Chris is now happily married to Marion (Emily Watson) and has a baby daughter. Tony has never settled down. A surprise visit from his childhood friend causes Chris to reassess his present life and to remember his days working in Paris; there he lived with Annick (Elsa Zylberstein), a young, liberated French woman, before he fell in love with Marion. Bale and Watson were superb in this film. He fantasizes about how his life would have been had he not gotten married. Tony is trying to convince him to give it all up, and Marion is trying to save her marriage. There is a lot of nudity and sex, but none is gratuitous. It all adds to the story and , at times, is funny, especially when he was new at sex in Paris. The most interesting part of the film consists of two related scenes. he tells Tony that he is "content." Maybe that is the best you can hope for from an Englishman. His wife asks later if he is "happy." he says, "If not now, never." That is certainly, to me at least, not a ringing endorsement. Maybe again, it is particularly English. The film was very enjoyable, and the only criticism I would have is the graininess in the middle. I am beginning to like Bale more and more.

I am not a critic. All I have to say is that I read that Christian Bale's sister said that this role in Metroland, as Chris, is the one that most represents Christian in real life. I saw him, in his role as Chris, the married with child, middle class husband, as one who looked back at his sexual awakening in Paris, and saw how good he had it with Marion,his wife, that what he really wanted, in the end, was commitment, stability, loyalty, and the sweet bliss that only marriage, covenant with one person, can bring. I thought the movie had a wonderful message and beautiful ending. He chose his wife in the end, the woman he fell in love with, not the fantasy. Bravo Chris, Bravo! Loved this movie. However, I am a very biased "critic" as I love everything Christian Bale has been in, as he is an incredible actor, my favorite, and brings it, no matter what the quality of the film.

Metroland is true to the midlife crisis, except between two people who haven't quite reached that stage of their lives yet. Christian Bale plays an Englishman who begins to reminisce about his past in the mid and late '60s when an old friend (played by Lee Ross) comes back to stir up his life. While I felt that the story was strong and seemingly dramatic enough to keep me interested and entertained, the character played by Lee Ross just seemed unnecessary. This character is supposed to build the plot the first half of the movie and I felt this could've been reached in many other directions. And if you love France, well, you'll love the beautiful depiction of French women with an excellent performance given by Elsa Zylberstein, Bale's character's 'old flame' that he thinks about constantly throughout the film. Beautiful 'still' cinematography throughout is perfect for Bale's character's love for photography and makes the film very watchable just for art's sake. By the time I reached the last 45 minutes or so, I was much more intrigued and worried for the well-being of Bale's marriage with his present day (1977) wife, played wonderfully by Emily Watson. The tension between the two of them throughout the film is far more than believable and I loved it. While I wanted to give this movie a much higher rating, I think it is fair to say that the first half moves much too slow. I was also slightly disappointed by the ending of the film, but it was still a great surprise and hit me unexpectedly. I highly recommend for Bale/Watson fans.