Movie Info:
Writer: Brad Anderson
Director: Brad Anderson
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Ben Kingsley, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega
Rating: R
Studio: First Look Studios

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: January 18, 2008
DVD Release Date: November 4, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

I am going to make a prediction and it makes me kind of sad to do it. Transsiberian will be one of the most overlooked movies of the year. It makes me sad to say it because it’s an amazing movie. It’s very Hitchcock in its presentation and intelligence factor. It’s one of those movies that you should watch, but probably won’t right away, and once you do you will kick yourself for waiting so long. The thriller title doesn’t really do it justice. It’s true, Transsiberian is a thriller and it’s truly enjoyable to watch. However, it’s much smarter and more entertaining than your average run of the mill movie in that genre.

The stakes are high for the thrillers I end up watching. I prefer something that is relatively new to me (heavily recycled ideas don’t shake it) with good acting. If I don’t want to see it again or it has no effect on me, then it’s useless and gets rated as such. I wasn’t sure what would come of my feelings for Transsiberian because I had not heard too much about it prior to it falling on my doorstep. I did, however, know Woody Harrelson was in it, which was good enough for me to want to watch it.

The storyline was easy enough to comprehend though there were many complexities to it. As you will see in Emily Mortimer’s character, Jessie, there is obviously much under the surface that isn’t always said in words. Jessie is just one example of this. Many of her emotions are worn on her sleeve, so to speak. Even when she isn’t saying much, you get a sense of how she is feeling and the troubles that plague her, at least in the beginning. Towards the end, there are many questions that remain about Jessie and why she behaves in the manner she does.

Harrelson, on the other hand, is completely in a different (and new) element, as he plays the classic good boy, churchgoer, and occasional (or all the time) drunk, Roy. Harrelson does not commonly play the good boy. Instead he shines in roles like Mickey Knox and Larry Flynt. That being said, Harrelson is awesome in Transsiberian. He played the part better than anyone could have. The same can be said for the other actors. Meanwhile, the direction tied the hard work of the actors together nicely. The feel of the movie is tense, even when it appears, on the surface, to be a comfortable setting. This feeling continues to mount until a series of smaller climaxes blend into a larger one. I wouldn’t call it overly shocking, but movies that are known as thrillers don’t seem to be made like this one anymore.

In the end, Transsiberian is smart and sleek, just like I like it. It only took one viewing for me to fall in love with this movie. I’ve seen both the blu ray and the standard definition versions and both end up looking and sounding great. So, whichever platform you prefer doesn’t matter because there is a version out there with your name on it.

The Transsiberian Plot
Roy (Harrelson) and Jessie (Mortimer) are a married couple that are in China doing some missionary work with their hometown church. When their work, helping the young children of a Chinese village, is done they decide to take the long route home, embarking on a week long train trip on the Transsiberian Express. This train travels from Beijing to Moscow and is a perfect way to end their vacation abroad, since Jessie seems a little restless at the thought of returning home and Roy is a certified train junkie.

After a short time on the train, Roy and Jessie become cabinmates with another couple. Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) is a Spaniard that is traveling with his young, American girlfriend Abby (Kate Mara). Though these two seem friendly, there is an air about them that offers a bit of mystery. At times, they seem too friendly, especially when Carlos lets his eyes linger a little too long at Jessie, and they know quite a bit about hustling customs, though that’s probably a result of their disinterest in settling down. Either way, Jessie and Roy seem to like them.

During a stop the girls and boys go on separate excursions. The girls start to bond about their wayward pasts, allowing Jessie’s restless discomfort to make more sense. While the girl’s are bonding, the guys are doing the same to some extent. The difference is that Roy is fawning over trains and Carlos is with him. Things get a bit trickier when only three people end up back on the Transsiberian Express.

Jessie is panicked with worry for her husband, Roy, who doesn’t get back on the train, so the three new friends get off at the next stop with hopes of meeting up with Roy when the next train comes in. After morning arrives, Jessie learns that Roy’s train has been delayed and he won’t be there until the afternoon. However, when they finally get back together the rules of the game have changed and everyone will be individually affected by the events that occurred while Roy was out of the loop.

When Jessie and Roy get back on the train Jessie meets Roy’s new roommate Grinko (Ben Kingsley). Grinko is a Russian detective, who is hunting drug traffickers. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that something is amiss with Jessie, but it’s safe to say that the feeling is reciprocated with her being cautious of him. The movie follows this line up until a climactic end of action, suspense, and eventually closure.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Transsiberian succeeds in terms of filming not only because of the quality of the film, but also because of the feelings provided when you’re watching it. The quality here is good, don’t get me wrong, but it is the claustrophobic nature of the film that really succeeds at making it as uncomfortable as it should be to watch. The aspect ratio for Transsiberian is 2.35:1 and it comes in anamorphic widescreen. The colors are adequate with sparkling whites and the dull color palette you would expect on an older, cramped train. There were no compression errors worth reporting. There were no problems with grain or noise. Everything looked clear and was easy to watch.

The audio served its purpose well also. The Dolby Digital 5.1 was mainly dialogue driven, though there was the occasional scream, musical interlude, or sound effect that came along. There were moments of dynamic sound where a mix of channels were used to create a superb effect. This occurred often when the trains were being emphasized. The dialogue, on the other hand, is easy to hear and does not require much toggling. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish. The only complaint I have hear is concerning the Russian to English subtitles that appear in rare parts of the movie. These small, yellow subtitles have a tendency to be very hard to read. Otherwise, everything came out looking great.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
The only downside to this DVD was that the special features area fell flat. I was really hoping for a commentary here as I felt the subject matter of the film offered loads to talk about. Unfortunately, a commentary was not included. In fact, nothing was included. The only thing that was added in the bonus section was previews for other upcoming and recently released DVDs. I would have liked to see more in this area, but the film is able to stand on its own, which is good because there isn’t anything here for it to fall back on.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Transsiberian was definitely an unexpected surprise. I expected a train mystery just based on the obvious premise of the movie. However, I received much more than that. This film was well acted and directed. There may have been moments that I knew what was going to happen, but there were just enough twists to keep me surprised and interested throughout the movie. Had I rented this movie as opposed to receiving it for review I would have went out to purchase it after the first viewing. It’s well worth checking out. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend you pick it up.

Overall Rating:

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