GB
1998
1hr 32mins
Dir: John Lynch
Starring: John Hurt and Brenda Blethyn
An ex-con forms a relationship with a lonely woman at a Dublin boarding house
This Irish romantic thriller should not be confused with several other films that have used this title, including an American movie that came out the following year. Near the beginning of this film there is a shot of a pair of CIE ‘Dart’ EMUs crossing Amiens Street bridge outside Dublin Connolly station and a scene inside Connolly itself. There is then a scene filmed onboard a ‘Dart’ EMU which includes a view out of the window at the Dublin cityscape with the train reflected in the windows of an office block. John Hurt’s journey on the train ends with a shot of him leaving an unknown DART suburban station. A nice touch is that John Hurt plays an ex-convict with a passion for model electric trains and the Orient Express in particular. In his attempts at starting a new life he faces the ultimate question of catching the night train, hence the title of the film, or taking charge of his life like an adult. An even nicer touch is that the ever lovely Brenda Blethyn recites the first verse of W. H. Auden’s Night Mail poem to him!
