The Commuter (4 Stars)

Mike McAuley commutes to New York City every day, a 69 minute train journey from Peekskill to Grand Central Station. He's been selling life insurance in the City for the last 10 years. After thousands of journeys on the same train at the same times every day he recognises the familiar faces of fellow travellers, and he even exchanges words with some of them. It's a pleasant enough journey. For almost the whole journey the train follows the bank of the River Hudson. You just have to sit on the right side of the train to enjoy the view.

In a single day his whole life changes. His boss tells him his company is downsizing, so he has to leave. When an American company says "leave" they mean "leave now". No notice is given. Out is out. Mike complains that at 60 he has no chance of finding a new job, but who cares? Out is out.

At the train station a man bumps into him who steals his wallet and his mobile phone. I have some advice for my friends. If you wear a jacket, don't keep your wallet in the jacket pocket. You're too vulnerable. Trouser pockets are much better.

On the train a woman sits down opposite him. She offers him a small job, based on his experience as a regular commuter. He has to identify a person who doesn't belong on the train. He isn't told if it's a man or a woman, just that the person is travelling to Cold Spring. If he succeeds he will be given $100,000. If he fails, or if he tells anyone else about his task, his wife and son will be killed.

That's a very weird task. When I saw the film's trailer I thought it was stupid. However, as the train rolls on from stop to stop it all falls into place. It all begins to make sense.

Liam Neeson amazes me. He's 65 now, five years older than the character he's playing in the film, and yet he's still tough enough to play an action hero. As the plot unravels he gets into repeated fights with other passengers on the train.

The film might be a mystery, but in the foreground there's non-stop action. The film is thrilling from the beginning to the end of the train journey. By the time the film ends you'll be breathless. It's incredible.