The Passenger (2005)

The first must-see film of the year.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

A film of such melancholy and quiet beauty, yet never boring or pretentious, and with a Jack Nicholson that shows that his range as an actor goes far beyond his more famous, over-the-top performances. Superb. 8 stars out of 10.In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:imdb.com/list/ls070242495

David Locke a journalist covering the civil war in Chad meets an Englishman called Robertson . Turning up at his hotel room the next morning Locke finds Robertson dead and decides to steal his identity . As it turns out Robertson's past catches up with Locke which eventually threatens his life You might remember this turning up on BBC2 one night in the mid 1980s and probably thought along the lines of " Wow a mid 1970s thriller starring Jack Nicholson . I'll lock the doors , close the curtains and take the phone of the hook " I can feel your pain because in those days there was no internet and no IMDb which would have warned you that producer Carlo Ponti and Michelangelo Antonioni previously gave us BLOW UP , one of the most dire pretentious films of its era . In short Antonnioni doesn't concern himself with narrative he's an auteur who is only concerned with enigma to bamboozle his audience so they can stroke their chins throughout the running time then at the end quickly rise to their feet , applaud and shout " magnificent " . I too spent the whole movie stroking my chin , rubbing my eyes , yawning then when the end credits started I rose to my feet and said " Well done , you had Jack Nicholson playing a bad man called Robertson and you literally bored me to death . That is some type of genius . Bravo " In the Summer of 2013 we've seen one Hollywood blockbuster flop one after the other so some might claim there might be a niche for films like THE PASSENGER . They're not entirely wrong because if no one wants to watch a film in the cinema then they don't want to watch a film in the cinema but is a selling point to a film that it's anti-Hollywood blockbuster a good enough reason for watching it ? I think that is a rhetorical question The selling point to THE PASSENGER is not stardom but is a film dealing with mystery , enigma , mid life crisis and profound allegorical questions on the nature of identity . All sorts of questions are being asked by the director to the audience . The climatic scene isn't what happened to Locke/Robertson but what is happening to every individual that has existed ? In short it's one of those movies that is classed as " essential " on academic film courses . After all you're not supposed to say " This is one of the most tedious film experiences I have ever suffered " but " The climatic scene that has a shot length of almost eight minutes reminded me of the cinema of Bela Tarr " which leaves me nostalgic for the films of Bela Lugosi

Michelangelo Antonioni's 'The Passenger' is Artistic Cinema! Its certainly not meant for everyone, as the story-telling in here, is lethargic & very dim. But for those who have a taste for something very different, they certainly will appreciate it.'The Passenger' Synopsis: A frustrated war correspondent, unable to find the war he's been asked to cover, takes the risky path of co-opting the I.D. of a dead arms dealer acquaintance.I wasn't bored or engrossed by 'The Passenger'. I did find myself interested to it, but only in the parts. The lethargic pacing & the dimness got to me after a point, but I definitely credit the film, for its originality. Michelangelo Antonioni's Direction is dim. Cinematography is high-class. Editing could've been sharper. Performance-Wise: Jack Nicholson aka The God of Acting, delivers a masterful performance, yet again. He infuses life into this otherwise moody film, with his marvelous act. Maria Schneider looks angelic & does well in some scenes. Steven Berkoff is decent. Charles Mulvehill leaves a mark.On the whole, 'The Passenger' caters to a niche audience.

Carlo Ponti produced this movie, Jack Nicholson starred in this 1975 turkey that presented itself as a mysterious Italian masterpiece when in fact it is a stinking pile of dung that isn't worth ten minutes of anyone's time and the fact that I watched every minute of it shows what a cast iron stomach I have for movies Jack Nicholson has made no matter how idiotic or ridiculous. The 1970s were a time of very strange movies and I guess 1975 being right in the middle of that decade made this movie fit in quite well with the "movie without a real ending" kind of flicks that were being foisted on the public back then. The only mystery in this movie is how grown up movie makers could make such trash. I suspect this movie never made back the money used to make it and pay its actors. I have rarely seen a worse movie that had such a high IMDb overall rating (7.8 I think is the average which is sickening). Please avoid this and if you do watch it wear a good old fashioned gas mask to reduce your exposure to the stench of its pointless meandering through over an hour and twenty minutes of your precious life. Skip It! StocktonRob p.s. the ending is as totally confusing and pointless as the movie. No explanation of how Jack dies or why. Just trash!