Review

A mysterious man named Milan (Hallyday) arrives in a small provincial town in France. He is met with closed shops and no open hotel. He meets town native Manesquier (Rochefort) who invites him to stay at the house where he was born and raised for the few days that he is in town. They strike an immediate friendship and both soon find that they wish they had the other's life. Where Milan is a bank robber who wants to have the quiet life of slippers and poetry, Manesquier wishes to be on grand adventures in the Old West. The screen comes alive with their quiet conversations. While each goes about their business during the day, they come together at night to talk more about their respective lives. Man on the Train is a quiet conversational film but does have a few bits of action near the end. As each man moves closer to their opposite professions one cannot always separate the fact from fantasy. Will it end badly or will each man get what he desires? You may find yourself cheering on the changes they go through, even with the consequences. (French with English subtitles)