Watch Return to Waterloo

Return to Waterloo is a 1984 British film directed by Ray Davies, best known as the guitarist and lead vocalist of The Kinks. The movie is a surrealist, experimental look at the life of a commuter on a train traveling to London's Waterloo Station. The film begins with an offscreen narrator (voiced by Ken Colley) introducing us to the main character (played by Tim Roth), a man who works in an office in London and commutes back and forth every day. We see him on the train, looking bored and uninterested in the world around him. He begins to drift off to sleep and has a series of bizarre and surreal dreams.

Throughout the movie, we see glimpses of the man's past, including his failed marriage and his relationship with his daughter. These memories are jumbled together with his dreams, creating a disjointed narrative that can be difficult to follow at times. The film is also interspersed with scenes of a train guard (played by Kenneth Colley) walking through the carriages, checking tickets and interacting with the passengers.

One of the most striking aspects of Return to Waterloo is its use of music. Ray Davies wrote and performed the soundtrack, which includes new songs as well as reworked versions of classic Kinks tracks. The music ranges from upbeat rock 'n' roll to haunting ballads, and it adds to the dreamlike quality of the film.

The visuals in the movie are also noteworthy. The film was shot entirely on 16mm film, which gives it a grainy, low-budget look. The use of quick cuts and jump cuts also adds to the disorienting effect of the movie. Some scenes are shot through a fish-eye lens, giving them a distorted, almost hallucinatory quality.

Return to Waterloo is not a traditional narrative film - it's more of a mood piece. The film is about the monotony of everyday life and the desire to escape from it. The main character is trapped in a cycle of work and commute, and his dreams are a way for him to break free from that monotony, if only for a little while.

The movie is not entirely successful - some viewers may find it confusing or frustrating - but it's a fascinating experiment in filmmaking. It's a film that rewards repeated viewings, as new details and meanings become apparent with each watch.

Overall, Return to Waterloo is a unique and challenging film that defies easy categorization. Fans of the Kinks will appreciate the music, but the movie is worth watching even if you're not familiar with the band. It's a film that lingers in the mind long after it's over, leaving you with a sense of ambiguity and unease.

Return to Waterloo is a 2012 music movie with a runtime of 59 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8.