MAN UP

GB / FRA
2015
1hr 28mins
Dir: Ben Palmer
Starring: Simon Pegg and Ophelia Lovibond

In a fit of rage, a woman takes the part of another woman’s blind date, with unexpected consequences

This romantic comedy has some good railway scenes early on. These open with Lake Bell arriving on foot at Godalming station in the Wey Valley in Surrey, which is curiously masquerading as Brockenhurst of all places! There is a good opening shot of the hugely attractive station building but the platform shots, which include an excellent one of Class 444 ‘Desiro’ EMU No.444038 South Western Railway arriving, used Liphook station just to confuse matters further. There are scenes filmed onboard a ‘Desiro’ unit and then some very good scenes at London Waterloo station, with plenty of South West Trains units present including a Class 159 DMU arriving, more Class 444 Desiro’s one of which is No.444009, and other EMU’s in the form of Classes 450, 455, 456 and 458, the latter being one of the few remaining prior to rebuild. The scenes at Waterloo are followed by scenes filmed on the South Bank and Hungerford Bridge is in the background throughout. A Class 465 ‘Networker’ EMU is crossing in one shot but it is difficult to clearly make out. Later, a train can be seen crossing at night and a return journey from Waterloo also takes place late at night, with much of the station closed up. The Seven Beats of Man Up featurette on the DVD contains lots of gratuitous shots of the actual filming taking place at Waterloo and, most notably, another Class 159 and a Class 458 appear.

This is the lovely station at Godalming, though it is playing the part of Brockenhurst in the film (!?)
Liphook station is used for the platform scenes (any reason why Godalming couldn’t be used?). The bridge carries Midhurst Road.
A really good shot of Class 444 ‘Desiro’ EMU No.444038 South Western Railway arriving into Liphook station on a train for Waterloo
A fair amount of filming took place inside a ‘Desiro’ (probably a Class 444) on its way to London. Here we see Lake Bell talking on her phone and trying to eat a baguette at the same time.
A Class 159 DMU arrives into platform 6 at Waterloo. There is a rare glimpse of a Class 456 EMU on the left with Class 444 and 450 ‘Desiros’ in the far background.
Platform 6 is now home to a Class 444 (continuity error) with a Class 455 on the left in platform 5 and a Class 458 on the right in platform 7
The ticket barriers at Waterloo platforms 5 and 6. A Class 455 is just visible far left but the Class 444 ‘Desiro’ on the right is No.444009.
There is a lengthy set of scenes filmed on the concourse at Waterloo which opens with this unusual elevated view
The return journey from Waterloo takes place late at night and gives us a non to common glimpse of the station entrance
This really was filmed late at night as the station’s entrance to the Bakerloo Line is shutted up!
Lake Bell and Simon Pegg discuss their next possible meet up as another Class 458 sits on the left. The closed entrance to the Underground is visible again on the right.
As the pair begrudgingly part a Class 450 can now be seen behind
Lake Bell makes her way down the platform to board her train, formed in this instance of a Class 455.
However, the scenes that follow show her onboard another ‘Desiro’ which is followed by a shot of one departing from platform 6. The clock reads 22:06 which is about three hours before the last tube suggesting therefore that filming took place over several days and at different times.
A shot of the film crew on platform 6 with a Class 444 in the background. This and the next three shots are all taken from the The Seven Beats of Man Up featurette.
More filming, and a Class 450 is visible in the far background
From left to right we have a ‘Desiro’ EMU, Simon Pegg, a Class 159 DMU and Lake Bell
The film crew on the concourse at Waterloo station. It would appear to be ten past 2 in the morning judging by the clock!