Transsiberian (2008)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Brad Anderson (written by) &
Will Conroy (written by)

Release Date:

24 October 2008 (Spain)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Arrive on time.

Plot:

A Trans-Siberian train journey from China to Moscow becomes a thrilling chase of deception and murder when an American couple encounters a mysterious pair of fellow travelers.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Photograph | Train Journey | Murder | American Abroad

Awards:

2 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Woody Harrelson	...	Roy
Emily Mortimer	...	Jessie
Ben Kingsley	...	Grinko
Kate Mara	...	Abby
Eduardo Noriega	...	Carlos
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Kolzak
Etienne Chicot	...	Frenchman
Mac McDonald	...	Minister
Colin Stinton	...	Embassy Official
Perlis Vaisieta	...	Manager Hotel Pushkin
Mindaugas Papinigis	...	Young Detective
Mindaugas Capas	...	Military Officer
Visockaite Sonata	...	Female Train Attendant #1 (as Sonata Visockaite)
Larisa Kalpokaite	...	Female Train Attendant #2
Valentinas Krulikovskis	...	Young Waiter

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, including torture and language.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK | Germany | Spain | Lithuania

Language:

English | Russian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Germany:16 | USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-15 | UK:15 (cut) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Lithuanian Film Studios, Vilnius, Lithuania

Company:

Filmax Group

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the scenes where we are shown the view through Jenny's camera, the focusing screen is from a 35mm camera, yet she is using a Canon Rebel digital camera.

Quotes:

Roy: [competing with other passenger's tiger scar] Hey, look at this. A deer attacked me.
passenger: A deer?
Roy: Yeah, a John Deer power mower!

a fine, taut thriller

A handful of familiar plot elements (all used effectively by Hitchcock, so let's not look down our noses here) is vividly drawn in a great location. We're not on Amtrak and the more perilous side of American's traveling in distant lands is beautifully rendered by the director Brad Anderson and sensational cinematography by Xavier Giménez.

However, it's the cast that takes this from something routine to something very unsettling. Emily Mortimer gives a fine performance as a woman trapped by her past. She does more with this role than perhaps was written and finally cinches her place as an actress you can count on. Two supporting roles, Eduardo Noriega being a great predatory villain who sees a mark in Emily Mortimer's character and plays her for all she's worth. At his side is an unsettling performance by Kate Mara, who with less to say makes a very vivid impression as a girl who's both mysterious and sympathetic.

Woody Harrelson stumbles, but he's always interesting to watch. His character doesn't belong in this film (which is almost the point of the movie) but he plays naive closer to dumb (or dumber). And we understand why Mortimer may be frustrated with her marriage, but it's halfway through the film that lots of beans are spilled about her past and everything we've seen and will see is dead on and convincing.

Less convincing is the plot which isn't up to the level of the other elements. I'm not sure in a real world these characters would have faired as well as they do or nearly so long.

Ben Kingsley shows up and works fine as someone who may be the lifeline to our travelers, but as the action heats up too many things require answers that the plot doesn't have time (or the audience much interest) in figuring out.

Yet it's one of the better films this summer. And if you don't like what's going on with the plot, you can always look at the exotic frozen Lithuanian scenery, or the shadows of fear the Emily Mortimer sends across her face tingling up our own spines. Terrific performance.