15.17 to Paris, The

Stars: Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler, Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer, William Jennings, Bryce Gheisar, Paul-Mikel Williams, Thomas Lennon, P.J. Byrne, Tony Hale

Director: Clint Eastwood

Three ordinary youngsters - Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone - bond while growing up in Sacramento.

Grown up, the American friends travel to Europe in 2015 where - in true tourist tradition - they enjoy themselves taking selfies against historic backgrounds ad having a helluva nothing-barred time in Venice, Berlin and Amsterdam before going to Paris, taking the eponymous train and blazing into action to become unique - even by Tinsel Town standards - and unexpected heroes who blaze into credible action on the speeding express when an armed terrorist sets out to massacre the helpless passengers.

Eastwood, making his shortest film as director, and armed with Dorothy Blyskal's to-the-point screenplay delivers a riveting thriller that casts its three real-life heroes as themselves.

The trio convincingly pull it off, all the more enjoyably because they do not attempt any of the all-too-frequent to-camera excesses so often created by professional actors dedicated to showing off while protecting (over-egging?) their image.

Alan Frank

USA 2018. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Colour.
89 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 3, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 04 Jun 2018

DVD review