Transsiberian (2008)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

10 October 2008 (Spain)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | 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:

Chase | Flashback Sequence | Hotel | Torture | Train Station

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Woody Harrelson	...	Roy
Emily Mortimer	...	Jessie
Kate Mara	...	Abby
Eduardo Noriega	...	Carlos
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Kolzak
Ben Kingsley	...	Grinko
Etienne Chicot	...	Frenchman
Mac McDonald	...	Minister
Colin Stinton	...	Embassy official
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Saulius Bagaliunas	...	Drunk Pole
Alfredas Butkevicius	...	Male Provodnik
Mindaugas Capas	...	Russian Officer
Vidmantas Jasiunevicius	...	Perter Tulun Station
Larisa Kalpokaite	...	Female Train Attendant #2
Bronius Kindurys	...	Uzbek
Valentinas Krulikovskis	...	Young Waiter Dining Car
Kristina Kulinic	...	School Girl #1
Sergej Oskin	...	Engineer
Mindaugas Papinigis	...	Young Detective
Andrius Paulavicius	...	Backpacker
Aleksandrs Petukhovs	...	Russian Cop
Antanas Radinskas	...	Sullen Clerk
Visockaite Sonata	...	Female Train Attendant #1
Antanas Surgailis	...	Young Russian
Perlis Vaisieta	...	Manager Hotel 'Pushkin'
Emilis Welyvis	...	Russian Cop
Jin Zhou	...	School Girl #2

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, including torture and language.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK | Germany | Spain | Lithuania

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lithuanian Film Studios, Vilnius, Lithuania

Company:

Filmax Group

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the movie, the main couple drives a train. A locomotive with three cars. Jessie closes all the doors of the cars and then goes back to Roy, who is operating the locomotive. But there is no way to get from the cars to the locomotive.

Character Driven Train Ride from Hell

Brad Anderson is probably the best unknown director working today. He's the independent Christopher Nolan, often making character-driven, psychologically complex flicks that transcend the trappings of their respective genres. In the past he has successfully combined elements from time-travel thrillers and romantic comedies in 2000's "Happy Accidents", delivered a taut "Shining"-esque thriller in 2001's "Session 9" and then provided a stirring Hitchcock homage with 2004's "The Machinist" (which also featured a gonzo performance from Christian Bale). With "Transsiberian" Anderson attempts to breath life back into the often forgotten train-based thriller. Like those three earlier films, "Transsiberian" was made on the cheap, yet still manages to feature great camera-work and well known faces headlining the cast. In terms of the logistics of the location shooting in Lithuania (doubling as Siberia), this arrives as Anderson's most accomplished film from a technical standpoint.

The story starts off with an American couple (a goofy Woody Harrelson and a criminally underrated Emily Mortimer) returning from missionary work in China by route of the famous Transsiberian railroad. Once on board the train, they befriend a young couple (Kata Mara and Eduardo Noriega) who claim to be student-teachers returning from Japan but might be hiding something sinister. The screenplay does a good job of building up to "something" and developing the characters, especially Mortimer's Jessie, delving into her past with expository dialog that makes you care about where these characters are headed and think deeply about their motives. Without giving away too much of the film, entanglements ensue as a drug smuggling operation comes to light, and in steps Ben Kingsley (excellent as a Russian bruiser) as a narcotics detective with a special interest in the case.

There is a point, however, where (pardon the pun) the screenplay derails, and despite some unexpected twists, there never seems to be that big payoff. The film keeps the viewer on their toes with a bizarre turn of events at an abandoned church and a shockingly grim torture scene, but the psychological ramifications of these events are never probed as deeply as they could've been. The seductively cute Mortimer gives a nervy, complex, and excellent performance as Jessie, keeping the viewer invested in her character and what could happen to her even as the screenplay goes all over the map with her development. Woody Harrelson's performance is more of a conundrum as he seems to be playing a book-smart version of his moronic character from "Cheers". He makes you laugh during some of the more ridiculous scenes as the plot holes get deeper, and whether that was intentional or not to break the tension or gloss over the leaps of logic is never clear.

"Transsiberian" should please those looking for something different from your run-of-the-mill Hollywood thriller. Though the screenplay initially gives us characters that feel like real people, the mechanics of the convoluted plot spoil the potential of that development. However, the film still offers up an exotic locale, solid direction, and interesting performances, which makes it easy to recommend.