Went to see a preview screening of this new movie thanks to SeeFilmFirst at the Leeds/Bradford Odeon this morning with my husband.
I was expecting this film to be a heavyweight because of the information I had found out before the screening and I loved that it was based on a true story, thankfully I was not disappointed in either respect, though I do wish I had brought some tissues with me.
Colin Firth (The King's Speech, Love Actually) stars as Eric Lomax, a man haunted by his past as one of thousands of Allied prisoners of war who were forced to work on the construction of the Thai/Burma railway during WWII. Nicole Kidman (Australia, The Others) plays Patti, the woman he falls in love with and marries after a chance meeting on his beloved railway. Determined to rid him of his demons, Patti tries to get the truth of the trauma by talking to Finlay, his former commander played by Stellan Skarsgård (Thor, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo).
In a series of revealing flashbacks, the young Eric, played by Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, Now is Good) is punished by his captors for building a secret radio to bring news and hope to his colleagues including the young Finlay, played by Sam Reid (Anonymous, Endeavour). The camp interpreter, Nagase, played by Tanroh Ishida (Gambit, 47 Ronin) an intelligent and capable man who talks of honour, when his actions belie it.
When Eric is given the chance to track down the young Japanese officer, Nagase, who tormented him, will he confront the older man and exact the revenge he has dreamed of for years?
This is a powerfully moving film and Firth excels in this emotionally driven true story and I wouldn't be surprised if this performance does not net him further awards. Irvine is also exceptional in his tear-jerking and wholly convincing role. Skarsgård and Kidman nail performances that are skilled at bringing empathy and a resonance worthy of this human story.
The final heartfelt scene with Firth and the excellent Hiroyuki Sanada (The Twilight Samurai, The Wolverine) as the older Nagase, deals sensitively with honour, truth and forgiveness and I feel Jonathon Teplitzky's (Burning Man, Better than Sex) film is perhaps an attempt to explore the male psyche of men of the WWII generation, who had to deal with PTSD when there was no such thing as therapy and why, for some of them, the war never really ended.
All generations and cultures should view this film as a lesson on the losses and crimes of war, for as Lomax says, the hate has to be let go.
'A true story of a hero confronting his past.' 8/10
#TheRailwayMan #SeeFilmFirst
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