El Ultimo Tren opens, somewhat weakly for those of us who are linguistically challenged and stuck reading subtitles, with an assemblage of elderly gentlemen who are taking a vote on whether to proceed with an illegal act. In contrast, movie watchers who are fluent bilingually are more apt to notice a non-subtitled sign in the background in Spanish: Sociedad de Amigos Riel (Society of Friends of the Rail).
We have, then, an assortment of what appear to be rail worker pensioners and/or train aficionados. As the movie proceeds, although this is not totally clear, we gather that some of them may be aging railroad unionists. At least one is clearly leftist, as on the non-Franco advocacy side of the Spanish Civil War.
The plot is simple. An enterprising modern young businessman has salvaged and refurbished a vintage locomotive, which he plans to sell to Hollywood. The problem is, the locomotive is Uruguayan heritage, the last of its kind in the nation, and society members, who oppose the engine's acquisition by the gringos, vote by a narrow margin to kidnap it.
Implementation falls to three grandfatherly types and a youngster friend of one of them. Once the train gets rolling, the movie gets rolling too, enjoyably so and rapidly improving. Like the locomotive the conspirators seek to retain, the film is a keeper. There aren't many chances to see anything from Uruguayan cinema, although the population of such movies is increasing. This one is among your better bets from that limited pool.
