Brad Anderson's 'Transsiberian' is a taut, well-cast Hitchcockian thriller that thrives on the atmosphere and ambiance of it's barren Siberian landscapes as well as the claustrophobic, unique location of mostly taking place on a train.
Brad Anderson is a filmmaker I've admired for a long time as he always injects a genuine, distinctive voice into his films and he's ambitious almost to the point of fault; his films always seem to reach for brilliant and stop just short, which I find admirable nonetheless.
That sounds more derogatory than my intentions but consider 'Happy Accidents', 'Session 9' and then particularly 'The Machinist' - all fascinating, good works; but Anderson wanted to achieve more than the end result no doubt it. And Christian Bale's haunting, central performance of 'The Machinist' certainly got Anderson within the grasp of great but not quite.
And now we arrive at 'Transsiberian' which again is well-conceived and crafted, but probably not completely succeeding on it's lofty ambitions despite a great, diverse cast firing on all cylinders.
After an opening scene in a chilly Russian ship yard where a drug deal has gone wrong and left somebody with a knife in the back of his neck, Russian narcotics officer Grinko (an always reliable Ben Kingsley) surmises the drug stash is taken and announces a business trip will be needed.
We then meet earnest, good-humored Roy (Woody Harrelson) and his contemplative wife Jessie (Emily Mortimer, 'Match Point') in Beijing, China finishing off a children-helping program through their church. Returning home, train-aficionado Roy convinces Jessie to take the seven-day Transsiberian Express train ride to Moscow where they could then fly.
On board, they meet bunk mates Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and his American girlfriend Abby (Kate Mara) who from the offset seem to have some sort of agenda. Carlos is sly, charming and Roy takes to him right away as Abby, like Jessie, is more quiet and prone to take things in a little more. It's clear that Carlos has set his eyes on Jessie and she knows this but Roy naively has his mind set on other things...like cool trains.
The feeling of strangers in a strange land becomes more prominent when Roy misses the train and Jessie gets off at the next stop accompanied by Carlos and Abby who say that she shouldn't be by herself in the "Wild East".
The film shifts out of low gear as the trio wait a day for Roy to catch up and Jessie soon becomes embroiled in a snare of seduction, lies and instinctive violence when Carlos invites her to check out an isolated church in the Siberian wilderness.
To delve further into the plot would be to ruin the careful and tightly woven machinations of the narrative and while certain threads are predictable to a point, there are plenty of twists and turns that develop that will keep you guessing till the end. The strokes of the mystery, however, is really the film's weakest point with the film largely succeeding on the depth and development of the characters.
Not the usual wafer-thin buffoons you generally find in suspense fare, these characters are carefully constructed with their own flaws, quirks and character traits. And that precise character development might have been wasted if the cast wasn't as accomplished as they are.
Woody Harrelson is always an interesting charismatic actor and his work here as the God-fearing, naive Roy is great stuff. I also like the fact that the film isn't afraid to show church-going Roy swill back the liquor and get violent when necessary; he's still a good guy but only human.
Emily Mortimer who is still mostly unknown but has done good stuff in smaller films like 'Match Point' and 'Redbelt' has the formidable job of carrying the bulk of the film's emotional apexes and quite literally swings and hits.
Once a drug-abusing wild girl who met Roy at just the right time, Mortimer's portrayal of joy, acceptance, fear, suspicion and lust never hits a false note. Noriega and Mara are kept intentionally blurry but Noriega in particular seems to live his character.
If the film ends on slightly disappointing and inevitable action notes, the improbable scene is still given weight by characters densely established by that point. What keeps the film from being great for me is the relatively lackluster framework of the story. Had the mystery been as precisely written as the characters, this would have been one of the better pictures of the year for me.
The film is presented in a 2.35:1 1080p widescreen transfer and the high-def visuals look as chilly and cold as the landscapes. The muted palette matches the tone of the film but the lifeless, harsh locales still look great in high-def with rich textures and great detail. A Dolby Digital 5.1 track is provided (no lossless option) and does an adequate job.
Special Features are a bit of a disappointment with only a half-hour 'Making-of' and a host of other First Look trailers that include the eclectic mix of 'War, Inc.', 'Sukayaki Western Django', 'Priceless' and 'Birds of America'. The making-of is quite good though and gives some insight into Anderson's original influence for the film, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the cast.
Brad Anderson is always a filmmaker to watch and his latest is no different. A strong character piece that works better as human drama, Anderson nevertheless fashions a unique thriller that should please fans of independent cinema and foreign locales. The high-def visuals match the film well and despite only a making-of for extras, this comes recommended.
Trans-Siberian [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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