Review of Derailed (2002) by Farah R — 02 Feb 2016

Adequately suspenseful and amply jarring, Derailed is a fairly generic, yet ripened suspense thriller embedded in a predictable and churlish narrative that weaves gossamer threads of drama and mystery across its suitably gritty palette of aesthetics.

Individually, Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen, and Vincent Cassel are assets to the film's long-range impact, but their respective characters -- and the interpersonal relationships formed among their characters -- are poorly developed, which bolsters two-dimensional character designs in spite of the actors' talents. The lack of depth in these characters also sufficiently debases their relatability and admonishes any compassion one might feel towards them even when they are targeted by misfortune throughout the film. It is difficult, after all, to elicit concern or sympathy from the viewer when they haven't been given enough material to attach themselves to the characters.

However, Jennifer Aniston proves, once again, she can fulfill her duties in a serious role, even if she wasn't as powerful here as she had been in The Good Girl (2002) with co-star Jake Gyllenhaal. Clive Owen offers his usual dark eyes and fastidious movements so suited to the genre. The chemistry between Owen and Aniston certainly registered, but it came across flat, and this was distracting because it was a hinderance to the film's credibility. Vincent Cassel, an otherwise great performance, had a tendency to push the limits of his performance in a way that felt forced and contrived at times. Nevertheless, performances were generally staunch when it came to fueling the plot.

[C] -- 57%.