Well Deserved Praise

Excellent, a Must See

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

In a performance so stunning it will leave you breathless, Ms. Emily Watson puts her heart and soul, the essence of her being, into another character that equals or surpasses her artistry in Breaking the Waves and the recent Appropriate Adult. This is an actor of such power that it overwhelms one to watch her bring life to a character with such subtle beauty and heart. In any future retrospective of this incredibly talented and lovely actor's body of work, there is no doubt whatsoever this film will be among her most superb work. Ms. Emily Watson simply captures the screen with her presence and elevates the work of Bale and fellow cast members with the excellence of her own triumphant skill. That she was not nominated for an Oscar or a Bafta once again proves how meaningless these hollow awards are. She was honored for Appropriate Adult with a Bafta but both the Emmys and even the Golden Globes reflected their ignorance and lack of appreciation for true artistry and genius. By this point in her career, Ms. Watson should have enumerable nominations and several Academy Awards to her credit. However, that is not what really matters. The true significance of her brilliance as an actor is that she touches the souls of everyone graced by performance after performance. Ms. Emily Watson may well be one of the greatest female actors to ever appear on stage, in film, or television. No one should allow themselves to miss this film for they will be much the lesser for it. In itself, Metroland is not a great cinematic experience. Emily Watson, however, is.

Every person, once in a while, during his adolescent years, dreams of doing something different- something more meaningful. But then he grows up and makes the choices- mostly ending up on paths that many had taken before him and many will take after him. While traveling on that path of course, he often stops and wonders whether he made the right decision- is this the right path for him. Metroland beautifully explores this state of mind when a person is half way down the road and wondering whether the decision he took was right or whether he should really become that rebel he always dreamed of becoming. The fact that this movie (made in nineties) is shot in the context of seventies emphasizes this point even further- the situation doesn't change with the decade- or with the ages. The acting is brilliant with Christian Bale on the top. The two leading ladies are OK though not too impressive.The direction is the one that truly steals the show. The director is able to create the effect of the viewer actually being part of the journey with the protagonist, where he starts from the feeling of what if and ending up in the awakening. A must watch for anyone past there 20s and feeling settled in their life.

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.

The main character in Metroland embodies the crisis that every one of us has already or will probably go through. "Have we made the right choices in our lives to make ourselves happy?".The movie portrays this character's search for the answers through flashbacks to his past as well as new events that are occurring in his present. The two paths that he could have taken were shown. He begins questioning if he had made the right choice with his current life. A life which he thought he would never want when he was younger and rebellious. The "9 to 5" job that we, or at least some of us, have all dreaded in fear of the death of our own creativity and individualism. The main male character basically is the imperfect hero with imperfect thoughts, much akin to the "hero" that we can hope to be at this day and age. The last line in the movie, "If not now, then, never." is a line we always hear but take its meaning for granted. Truly, if happiness is not found in the moment..in the "now"..then, where else can it ever be?