It will be most difficult to describe in a review how marvelous and entertaining this character driven film by Patrice Leconte is, but I will try to do it justice.  Here is an original story that contains compelling and interesting characters, witty and smart dialogue, and great acting to boot.  If the film is playing near you, go see it now before Hollywood puts out a mediocre remake of it.

      We first are introduced to Milan getting off a train and going into a pharmacy to get some aspirin.  He runs into Monsieur Manesquier who invites Milan to his house so that he can get some water to dissolve the aspirin.  Manesquier is an older and retired poetry teacher who has lived a most quiet and uneventful life. Milan, on the other hand, is a bank robber who just happens to be in town to rob the bank with some fellow thieves.  What ensues is that the two men slowly get to know each other and deep down would actually like to trade places with the other.  They obviously believe that their lives would have been so much better if only they had lived in the other's shoes.  Manesquier envies Milan's dangerous and exciting life as a thief while Milan wishes that he could have the former's quiet and easygoing life. How little do they realize what their destinies have in store for each other.

      As this is a character driven film with little action and special effects, it demands an intelligent script with interesting characters in order to succeed.  These characteristics definitely help make The Man on the Train a compelling and most enjoyable film to sit thru.  For a quiet, reserved man, Manesquier has so much wit with him and he has the ability to throw out funny, but at the same time, insightful remarks at every turn.  And while Milan doesn't talk very much, when he does speak, often comes out witty philosophical statements.  The growing bond between these two men who are so opposite seems to be so unexpected, but yet so real and believable at the same time.

      The acting by Rochefort and Hallyday and the great chemistry between them is what really makes this film really work.  Not only what they say, but how they say it and how they look while saying things are the intangible aspects that help make this film so entertaining.  The twinkle that often accompanies Rocheforts witty remarks will make the audience smile every time. The two actors make the story even more touching and funny on screen than I bet it looked like on paper when reading the script.

      So, for those who like to see original stories with great acting and dialogue, The Man on the Train is not one to be missed.  It's not that easy to make a successful film that is both touching and funny and compelling at the same time, but this one most definitely does it.  Kudos to not only the two main actors in this one but to the director as well.