Review of TransSiberian (2008) by Blake P — 25 Jul 2012

"Transsiberian" is an economic, fast-paced neo-noir that reminds us that Hitchock-ian thrillers still can exist. Today it seems most thrillers try to be big blockbusters, but this film succeeds more because it relies more on suspense than explosions, or CGI laced, dazzling effects.

Our focus is an American couple, Roy (Harrelson) and Jessie (Mortimer), traveling from China to Moscow, on a train. They meet a young, mysterious couple, Carlos (Noriega) and Abby (Mara), and the four instantly become traveling companions.

As they get to know each other more, Jessie becomes more suspicious that there might be more than meets to eye, and before long it leads to a murder-- and she and Roy are being chased down by crooked cop Grinko (Kingsley).

Brad Anderson, who directed and wrote the film, seems to be doing his homework. "Transsiberian" is like many thrillers: it has the main character committing a horrible act, a villain chasing after them, and finally, good conquers evil.

But the film itself is so frighteningly realistic that you end up not really caring about the cliches: instead, you're heart's pumping, anxiously awaiting what's going to happen next. And the use of a snowy Russia as a backdrop is simply brilliant, because it only emphasizes the brutality of what's going on.

The sign of a good old-fashioned thriller is when you get sucked into these characters lives-- and "Transsiberian" achieves that. The characters are all well played by the dream cast-- Harrelson yet again gives a terrific performance, this time as a sheltered, goofy "hillbilly", Mortimer is perfect as the woman trapped in a bad situation, and Noriega and Mara work flawlessly with the rest of the cast as "the strangers".

But the showcase here is really for Kingsley, who plays a Russian cop with ominous tendencies with perfect amounts of menace and sensitivity. "Transsiberian" is forgettable as most thrillers are, but it's a heck of a lot smarter.

Recommended.