Review of Derailed (2005) by Deb S — 10 Jan 2010

Have you ever been tempted to cheat? You won't ever want to cheat on your partner after seeing this movie.

Clive Owen convincingly portrays the dispirited executive, the guy in an unexciting married life who lives life where every day is the same. One day he meets married executive Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) on a train, and he soon invites her for lunch. It's not long before they realise that they share an obvious attraction and they go back to a hotel. While getting intimate thief LaRoche (Vincent Cassel) invades the room, robs and beats Owen and rapes Lucinda. Jennifer Aniston is convincing in her 'Femme Fatale' role - not the demure pretty girl next door any more. Vincent Cassel as the antagonist was brilliantly slimy, mean and very believable. The initial attack on Aniston and Owen is particularly well done, and parts of it do instill terror at the sheer realism and ease of the attack! The scene where he visits Owen's home and pretends to be a businessman was frightening knowing who he really was.

I found some parts predictable but that didn't ruin the movie for me. The story was complex enough to be engrossing with great pacing and action. This is a dark, suspenseful, edge of your seat thriller and with certainty the main character deserved some of what he got!!!