Just so...so bad

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

A mysterious quiet man (Larry Mullen Jr.) arrives in the small town on a train. A poetry professor (Donald Sutherland) befriends the stranger and even takes him into his home. The man is in town to rob a bank with Sado (Graham Greene), Loco (Tony Nardi), and Max (Carlo Rota). He and the professor get to know each other as they discuss everything.Mullen is playing the strong silent type and he does it with his stone face. Meanwhile Donald Sutherland is going off. He's acting for all he's worth with all his experience in tow. I don't see much in this performance for Mullen other than a lifetime of playing thugs with really short lines or playing in a really successful band. He should probably stick to the band. Sutherland is giving a lot here but Mullen isn't returning much. He has a flat monotone voice and stiff facial expressions. Although U2 fans may disagree vehemently. I saw the 2002 french movie, and I liked it for its attempt at a different kind of crime caper but I didn't love it. I have even less love for this one.

I had no idea what to expect - I was sitting around checking out the new cable TV offerings and this came up. I was immediately caught up in this wacky little story (the path not taken, trading places, etc.). It's very low key for sure but that's a refreshing change of pace as far as I am concerned. The professor was a bit overly quirky (the nutty professor?) but still, if you accept it, it makes the movie that much more enjoyable. I did not know that the "thief" was a U2 member - and I am glad I didn't know - I may have pre-judged the performance. I thought he was terrific - his character had fewer lines than Southerland but he definitely has an on screen presence that is engaging (I thought he must be some stage actor transitioning to movies because I'd never seen him before and I do see a lot of movies). I am surprised to see negative reviews. Yes, the ending was a bit confusing but then it all comes together. One of the more interesting movies I've seen in a quite a while. Worth watching for sure.

Donald Sutherland is a retired professor of poetry living alone in a large Victorian house, listening to Schubert in most of his spare time. He meets a stranger, played by Larry Mullen, Jr.(yes, it is the drummer of the Irish rock band U2), a criminal type who is the complete opposite of the professor.Mr. Mullen can definitely give up his day job, he is the cinematic acting discovery of the year. His style is that of James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause" or Martin Sheen in "Badlands," and he matches the veteran Sutherland in scene after scene. The two are terrific together. Mullen possesses a natural, charismatic charm.A major problem is the soundtrack, which frequently features a piano in the background at a volume clashing with the actors' lines; at times I was wishing for subtitles.The professor and the stranger with no name ponder each others lives, contemplating the paths they have chosen, a universal theme we can all relate to. The two leads keep it moving along and make it worthwhile.

Donald Sutherland, accomplished actor, co-stars with Larry Mullen, Jr., neophyte actor, to complete a re-make of the French film L'homme Du Train from 2002. Not having seen the original, I cannot compare the two films. I can, however, tell you that this 2011 version is wonderful!Donald Sutherland plays an optimistic, always friendly, if not a little quirky, professor in a small town named Orangeville located in Anywhere, North America. It's a small, trusting town which, with its lack of security, invites a criminal and his thugs to town to rob the bank. The bank robber is played by Larry Mullen, Jr., of U2 fame. He's quietly mysterious and is welcomed as the house guest of the professor. These two men couldn't be any more of polar opposites. Despite their differences, the two seem to admire one another and become friends over the subsequent days prior to the bank robbery and the professor's upcoming surgery. I was continually trying to figure out what the professor knew and why he had befriended this obvious ne'er-do-well. Only in the end, was I able to figure this out. Both Sutherland and Mullen were superb. The story line had me hooked from the beginning and constantly reeled me in until the credits rolled.I loved this movie. The two main characters were realistically portrayed and I rooted for each of them. The story, direction, and acting were wonderful. Sutherland continually giving quality performances and Mullen giving us a successful first! This sweet and charming movie is well worth seeing!