David O'ConnellTranssiberian
April 30th 2009 03:39
Director Brad Anderson made a significant splash with his 2004 film The Machinist, a story of how one man’s subliminated psychological wounds began to manifest themselves in extreme physical symptoms. A harrowing and haunting excursion beneath the veil of a deeply troubled psyche, it featured a tour-de-force of method acting from Christian Bale. Now, some four years later, Anderson’s follow-up arrives, covering somewhat similar terrain in charting the downward spiral of a woman caught between her conscience and survival.
Jessie (Emily Mortimer) and her husband Roy (Woody Harrelson) are traveling from China to Russia aboard the Transsiberian express after completing charity work for their church. They soon befriend another couple, Spaniard Carlos (Eduardo Noriega), and his young American girlfriend Abby (Kate Mara).
An air of mystery and dubiousness hangs over the pair, Jessie suspicious of Carlos’ cockiness and the morose reticence of Abby who seems to defer to her unlikely partner at every opportunity. The screenplay by Anderson and Will Convoy takes pains to slow the drama down through the film's first half, fleshing out the characters at leisure. The couples learn a little about each other, though it’s implied that the arrogant Carlos is continually taking liberties with the truth, a subplot involving drug smuggling perhaps hinting at an ulterior motive.
After a major twist at the midway point, the plot finally shifts into gear, heading into murkier territory as Jessie must come to terms with the consequences of an impulsive action with the power to affect all their lives. The film’s brief prologue offered a glimpse of a character who will become a major player in the final act: Ilya Grinko (Ben Kingsley), a Russian narcotics officer who boards the train, immediately heightening tensions with his formidable presence.
He and Jessie soon become combatants maneuvering their way around the train, one advancing and the other deflecting questions as defense mechanisms begin subverting all rational thinking. A cautiously engineered cat-and-mouse game ensues as he subtly sets about extracting the truth from these harried Americans - but with possibly corrupt motives of his own darkening the waters further.
Mortimer gives one of her finest performances as the increasingly frantic Jessie, a woman torn between concealment of the truth - thus betraying her loyal husband and burdening her conscience with incalculable baggage - or jeopardising their future with a shocking revelation; it requires a skillful balance to portray this internal struggle convincingly but Mortimer is good enough to pull it off.
Kingsley, so often wasted in lesser roles, brings a calm and icy deliberation to his role as the dogged Ilya. Once he enters the frame his presence becomes a constant roving threat to Emily’s conscience, every gesture a finely tuned non-verbal acknowledgement of the judgement he’s waiting to bring down on her head like a boulder. Harrelson is perfect too as the trusting, God-fearing hardware salesman, a somewhat simplistic but decent man fumbling through the etiquette of a foreign world, oblivious to its evil possibilities.
Though lacking the level of intrigue generated by The Machinist, Anderson’s Transsiberian proves to be a worthy follow-up with an excellent cast its strongest asset; admittedly it takes time to gather dramatic impetus, effectively establishing mood and tone before it reaches truly interesting ground, but patience, in this case, will be rewarded.
Jessie (Emily Mortimer) and her husband Roy (Woody Harrelson) are traveling from China to Russia aboard the Transsiberian express after completing charity work for their church. They soon befriend another couple, Spaniard Carlos (Eduardo Noriega), and his young American girlfriend Abby (Kate Mara).
An air of mystery and dubiousness hangs over the pair, Jessie suspicious of Carlos’ cockiness and the morose reticence of Abby who seems to defer to her unlikely partner at every opportunity. The screenplay by Anderson and Will Convoy takes pains to slow the drama down through the film's first half, fleshing out the characters at leisure. The couples learn a little about each other, though it’s implied that the arrogant Carlos is continually taking liberties with the truth, a subplot involving drug smuggling perhaps hinting at an ulterior motive.
Emily Mortimer as Jessie
After a major twist at the midway point, the plot finally shifts into gear, heading into murkier territory as Jessie must come to terms with the consequences of an impulsive action with the power to affect all their lives. The film’s brief prologue offered a glimpse of a character who will become a major player in the final act: Ilya Grinko (Ben Kingsley), a Russian narcotics officer who boards the train, immediately heightening tensions with his formidable presence.
He and Jessie soon become combatants maneuvering their way around the train, one advancing and the other deflecting questions as defense mechanisms begin subverting all rational thinking. A cautiously engineered cat-and-mouse game ensues as he subtly sets about extracting the truth from these harried Americans - but with possibly corrupt motives of his own darkening the waters further.
Ben Kingsley as Ilya Grinko
Mortimer gives one of her finest performances as the increasingly frantic Jessie, a woman torn between concealment of the truth - thus betraying her loyal husband and burdening her conscience with incalculable baggage - or jeopardising their future with a shocking revelation; it requires a skillful balance to portray this internal struggle convincingly but Mortimer is good enough to pull it off.
Woody Harrelson as Roy
Kingsley, so often wasted in lesser roles, brings a calm and icy deliberation to his role as the dogged Ilya. Once he enters the frame his presence becomes a constant roving threat to Emily’s conscience, every gesture a finely tuned non-verbal acknowledgement of the judgement he’s waiting to bring down on her head like a boulder. Harrelson is perfect too as the trusting, God-fearing hardware salesman, a somewhat simplistic but decent man fumbling through the etiquette of a foreign world, oblivious to its evil possibilities.
Though lacking the level of intrigue generated by The Machinist, Anderson’s Transsiberian proves to be a worthy follow-up with an excellent cast its strongest asset; admittedly it takes time to gather dramatic impetus, effectively establishing mood and tone before it reaches truly interesting ground, but patience, in this case, will be rewarded.
Kate Mara as Abby and Eduardo Noriega as Carlos
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Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by Michelle Sweeney
Competition Queen
Always Learning
Cinema Voyage
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Hey Michelle, yes you're right, the good ones are few and far between! I'm glad I did get to see it. I'm always a fan of Ben Kingsley when he's given a role like this (though nothing tops Sexy Beast!), and Emily Mortimer is strong in virtually everything I've seen her in.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I was really surprised by Brad Andeson's film Session 9 it drew out the tension well and happily existed in the ambiguous dimension of all good atmosphere driven thrillers. Even David Caruso was up to the challenge of carrying his weight.
The Machinist was a well structured head turner but I admit Bale's weight loss was the main attraction.
next Stop Wonderland had it's moments but didn't rise to teh potential of its subject. the casting was great though.
Transsiberian looks appealing to me and the trailer had me keeping an eye out for a while,m then it slipped through....I didn't read all the review but get the impression its worth a glance.
Obviously a Director to watch and one who I feel hasn't peaked yet.
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by Michelle Sweeney
Competition Queen
Always Learning
Cinema Voyage
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic