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Date Watched

June 28, 2014

You have to know a couple of things about this movie before you go: it is based on a French graphic novel, it stars Tilda Swinton, and it is directed by Bong Joon Ho; so, you know that this is not going to be a traditional story.

Because of the source material, the movie tells you the story of what would happen in a world that never could exist. You have to suspend your disbelief in the fictional post-apocylyse where man has accidentally frozen the whole world and only the passengers on an over-engineered luxury train survive as they ride out their lives on a perpetual world cruise.

The train becomes an allegory for society, similar to Dante's Inferno. From here the characters, struggles, and story all spin out.

Chris Evans was a credible leading man; going well beyond his mainstream charms. Tilda Swinton is great as the personification bureaucracy. Ed Harris and John Hurt anchor the film with solid foils.

The graphic nature of the source material lends to fantastic shots, great images, and a setting that will literally transport you.