JohnLeeT In a performance so stunning it will leave you breathless, Ms. Emily Watson puts her heart and soul, the essence of her being, into another character that equals or surpasses her artistry in Breaking the Waves and the recent Appropriate Adult. This is an actor of such power that it overwhelms one to watch her bring life to a character with such subtle beauty and heart. In any future retrospective of this incredibly talented and lovely actor's body of work, there is no doubt whatsoever this film will be among her most superb work. Ms. Emily Watson simply captures the screen with her presence and elevates the work of Bale and fellow cast members with the excellence of her own triumphant skill. That she was not nominated for an Oscar or a Bafta once again proves how meaningless these hollow awards are. She was honored for Appropriate Adult with a Bafta but both the Emmys and even the Golden Globes reflected their ignorance and lack of appreciation for true artistry and genius. By this point in her career, Ms. Watson should have enumerable nominations and several Academy Awards to her credit. However, that is not what really matters. The true significance of her brilliance as an actor is that she touches the souls of everyone graced by performance after performance. Ms. Emily Watson may well be one of the greatest female actors to ever appear on stage, in film, or television. No one should allow themselves to miss this film for they will be much the lesser for it. In itself, Metroland is not a great cinematic experience. Emily Watson, however, is.

macpet49-1 The acting was OK. It's refreshing to see the protagonist with his 'boy body' before he found steroids in 'American Psycho'! Now he just looks like everybody else.This story is not original. The theme has been explored a thousand times in a thousand films that were better. I hate movies portraying other times. It's always impossible to 'recreate an era'! When will Hollywood learn that? The mood, the people, the mores are gone forever. Everyone wants innocence back but you cannot erase the smugness and skepticism of now. It just creeps through everything we do. This is at best someone's dream of what some 1960s young people thought and discovered. I notice that nobody ever tells stories about working class people anymore. The working class never had the luxury of these choices. There was no question about life--it was just survival. One went to school if one got loans or scholarships or worked his way through. One went to war if one was drafted. One went to factory if one was below average. One got married or lived with parents. The act of getting a license to drive or see a movie was special. You took nothing for granted. Your parents didn't adore you; they put up with you. You were most likely an accident. You rarely questioned anything because what you had was such a struggle to obtain and the daily chore of trying to keep it was huge. Just once, I'd like to see this investigated in film. It's a reminder that the film industry is owned/run by wealthy people of the Mideast faith and they delight in reflections of themselves only.

Flagrant-Baronessa ... and this state of mind is Chris' (Christian Bale) concern throughout the film - it is about not going anywhere or doing anything, but being stuck in Suburbia with a wife and baby in 1970s Midlands. In particular, this is Chris' childhood friend's concern for him as he visits his old friend and sees what rut he appears to be in. Chris gradually starts to reflect on his younger years with the help from his mate Toni and remembers what a rebellious spirit he once was. This flashback device is efficient for the film as it further emphasizes the tediousness of Metroland by contrasting it to Chris' dreams and idealism as a young man.Metroland greatly showcases Christian Bale's versatility as an actor, stripping him of whatever traces of superhero glamour from Batman Begins that was left in his image. Here we can recognize his ability to portray a character that is a downright loser and we enjoy it. There is plenty of Bale-goodies in this film, not just in his acting performance. Credit should also go to the lovely Emily Watson as Chris' little Suburbian wife.Metroland is a fairly cute low-budget English film that occasionally borders on being severely depressing. Yet, this is compensated for by including the punk edge of the 1970s that takes the form of a disdain for the bourgeoisie and a rebellious attitude. All the Paris segments that Chris recalls are well-made and entertaining and by far the more memorable parts of this film. Everything else is nice, but forgettable. 7/10

Theo Robertson When the titles of METROLAND started it instantly reminded me of the Rachel Weisz black comedy BEAUTIFUL CREATURES which had been on the previous night. The title sequences were so similar it was uncanny as the camera travels along a rail track to a hypnotic beat . Mind you if I remember correctly things actually happened in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES , hardly anything happens in METROLAND I think this problem isn`t helped by the fact there`s some French input to this movie , yes despite it being set in middle England METROLAND is an Anglo-French co-production not a very succesful combination at the best of times and even a bigger failure where film making is concerned . You see the French gave the world the concept of film study and analysis which means a French critic or a French audience will be able to strip away the veneer of what`s on screen and draw their own conclusions as to what the story is really about - An English speaking audience won`t which means this critic here can only see a slow moving romantic comedy with a very episodic nature. Have you ever been invited to a dinner party where all the guests know each very well and just talk amongst themselves making you feel very left out ? That`s how I felt watching METROLAND , and couldn`t help thinking it might have been far better if the story had been set in Paris with an entirely French cast