Genres

Visitors Review

Turfseer 2012-05-25 04:25:29

Transsiberian Train wreck!

Roy and Jessie are a young American couple who have just finished doingsome volunteer work for their church in China and have decided (insteadof flying) to take the Transsiberian Express to Moscow before theyreturn to the States. Roy (played by Woody Harrelson) is ahappy-go-lucky guy teamed with a neurotic wife whose chief vice issmoking cigarettes. When they meet a mysterious couple, Carlos andAbby, on the train, it's obvious that our unsuspecting couple are soonto become victims of criminal machinations a la a typical Hitchcockthriller. The story plods along for about 45 minutes before something actuallyhappens--Roy fails to get back on the train and Jessie is forced to getoff at the next stop and spend the night in a hotel with suspected drugmule Carlos and unsuspecting Abby in a room down the hall. Carlos hasalready put some moves on Jessie but she somehow agrees to go on alittle sightseeing tour the next morning with Carlos who takes herthrough a forest until they arrive at a monastery in the middle ofnowhere.Here's where things totally fall apart. Carlos gets more aggressivewith neurotic Jessie and she assumes he's going to rape her. She findsa small log and smashes Carlos in the face. Somehow Carlos is unable tosubdue the upset Jessie and moves on her again. Clunk! He gets smashedin the face again. Okay, he gets up and tries to grab her again and shesmashes him a few more times on the head until one final coup de grace,killing him. Her white ski jacket now covered with blood, she managesto get all the way back to town, covering the blood spots with herhands as she walks. The whole scene is totally ludicrous, with Carlosmaking no attempt to avoid the blows inflicted upon him by a crazedJessie. The story grows more absurd as we move along. Roy suddenly calls Jessiewith no explanation as to why he failed to get on the train and Jessiedoesn't seem too interested as to why he was such a doofis. Roy finallymeets her in the town, they get back on the train, and Jessie fails totell him that she killed Carlos. Any normal wife who's involved in suchan extraordinary incident would have told their husband right away whathappened and they would have simply went to the police. But no,neurotic Jessie (remember she smokes cigarettes!) has to hide the truthfrom Roy that she killed Carlos as well as information that Carlosplanted heroin in her suitcase. Jessie can't tell Roy because of course that would kill the wholestoryline especially when Ben Kingsley shows up pretending he's adetective but is actually part of a drug syndicate. When Kingsley grabsRoy and Jessie and takes them off the train to a secret hideout,Kingsley's partner wants to kill Roy and then extract information fromJessie as to where Carlos is. Instead of simply killing Roy right away,inexplicably Kingsley's "detective" tells his partner to merely shootRoy in the leg (nice way to keep a character alive so they can escape!)Before Roy can get shot in the leg, Roy and Jessie make an incredibleescape from the secret hideout (somehow the bad guys forgot about thedoor in the room they were taken to; also they forgot to tie them up!).Finally Roy and Jessie get back on the train but the bad guys haveuncoupled half the train and now there's no one on it except theengineer who meek and mild Roy manages to dispose of by clunking him onthe head. Roy figures out how to start the train (hmmm!!!!) but notbefore Kingsley and his crime syndicate partner get back on the trainand are about to kill them. Wouldn't you know it, the train collideswith another train coming in the other direction. All's well that end's well when Kingsley turns on his partner anddisappears into the Russian wilderness. Roy and Jessie are saved andare met by Embassy officials who have them sign statements as to whathas occurred (no extensive discussion of Jessie killing Carlos isbrought up). Finally, the theme of the movie ('never judge a book by its cover')becomes evident when 'innocent' Abby is seen digging up the drug moneyand making out like a bandit. Without credibility, 'thrillers' likeTranssiberian Express tend to fall apart. Not intellectual enough to bean indie 'art' film and not thrilling enough to be a commercialblockbuster, Transsiberian falls into the netherworld of forgettablefilm-making. Ben Kingsley manages a nice Russian accent and is probably the bestthing about the film. Woody Harrelson is too one-note of a characterand Emily Mortimer as Jessie is so down on herself and acts likesomeone afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome most of the time that wecannot believe in virtually any of her motivations. Even Carlos, thenewly enlisted drug mule, fails to be much of a menacing character atall. Transsiberia doesn't have enough surprises to thrill us and whateversurprises do pop up, they're not believable!

Todd McCarthy 2012-05-24 20:24:03

An engagingly up-to-date melodrama steeped in local color.

vickie324 2012-05-23 20:00:16

Great suspense film!

Loved this movie and wonder why it was so under-marketed. I went to seeit because I actually took the Trans-Siberian train this summer and soof course this movie intrigued me. (Luckily my trip was not soeventful!) While of course the movie was more personal for me since Icould really relate to a lot of the scenes about life on the train andin the stations, this movie will appeal to anyone who likes a goodmystery. This movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and is reallywell-done. And it definitely captures the current political and socialclimate of Russia today. Having dealt with the border guards in Siberia(over a visa problem) I witnessed first hand the 'wild west' mentalitythat currently exists in that country. It may be hard for Americans tobelieve that the events that occur in this movie are realistic. Butthey are. And Woody Harrelson is a revelation. Ben Kingsley is great asalways. I was not familiar with Emily Mortimer prior to this film but Iwill be on the lookout for her next film. It's a shame not many peoplewill see this movie. Hopefully they'll catch it on pay per view. Highlyrecommended.

doctorsmoothlove 2012-05-23 08:01:12

Strangers with candy...

Train movies aren't common anymore. Back in the early decades of cinemathey were, and many of them were produced. Heck, the precursor to theWestern genre is The Great Train Robbery. Since I've been a critic,I've not seen many movies involving trains other than those I watch tofill the gaps in my understanding of film history. Transsiberian is thefirst train film I've watched in theater, and it's a good one. It's aco-production of Lithuania, Spain, Britain, and Germany set in Russiaand staring American tourists (one played by British actor). It's a bitfar-fetched, I know.It's a wonderful experience being frightened when watching a film. It'sa sensation I rarely feel with modern work. I felt that way watchingthis movie. Transsiberian is about an American couple traveling viatrain from Beijing to Moscow and the colorful catastrophes which befallthem. The couple, Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer),decides that a scenic trip to Moscow would be preferable to a boringflight. Don't be fooled, it's a ruse! Roy wants to convince his formerbad-girl wife that he isn't a simple hardware store owner. They enteran environment entirely foreign to them. The other passengers are notfriendly and the men frequently and openly flirt with Jessie.The only people that express any sentiment towards them are theirroommates, Abby (Kate Mara) and Carlos (Eduardo Noriega). Jessiedevelops a strong physical attraction to Carlos and becomes friendswith his wife. He is everything she used to be and probably what shewishes Roy was. Carlos helps Roy accustom himself to Russian train lifeand the couples become fast friends. There is something suspect aboutCarlos however; he carries the oddest hollow Chinese dolls which hegives to Jessie. A lot of other people have been carrying them too, andthe Russian police force is curious as to their containments. Officersare stationed to search trains for these dolls and one of theseofficers named Grinko (Ben Kingsley) becomes suspicious of Jessie sinceher exchange with Carlos. I won't disclose more of the plot to youbecause that would destroy your ability to experience this film as itshould be. The only clue I will provide is that the entire film relieson the premise of not accepting subjects based solely on appearance.Most of the camera-work is close-ups which work very well. The shotsare included out of necessity; a lot of the time we see people inconfined places. It's a claustrophobic effect which accompanies Jessieand Roy's anxiety very well. We never know what will happen to them andare given no clues in the background. Many scenes outside of the trainare poorly colored or snow-blanketed. The film's stage design thuseliminates any external positive influences. We have to watch it unfoldfrom an uncomfortable beginning into a merciless thriller.Transsiberian takes a while to shift into high gear, and the first halfof it contains little action. Characters are, you know, actuallydeveloped. It's kinda neat. If you're patient enough to withstand allthis inactivity, you get an intelligent Saw-inspired sequence at theend which is the primary source of its "R" rating.Don't have me convince you that it's a perfect film. I noticed oneaspect of its protagonists that has since bothered me. Jessie and Roydon't appear aware of their KGB-like situation. Both of them aredumbfounded and clueless when interrogated and even when they interactwith each other. Roy knows nothing about caring for distraught peopleand offers naïve support for his wife. Jessie thinks herself invincibleand falls into trouble by repeatedly lying to former KGB officerGrinko. If you're a non-Russian, you'll learn that Russia is capable ofproducing honest police officers. If you commit a crime there, you'remuch more likely to avoid trouble if you just tell the truth.I'm not sure of objectivity in my criticism of Transsiberian. It's anadroitly constructed movie, but did I only enjoy it because I haven'tseen many train movies? Maybe it's contrasting train-movie status andcontemporary setting is what gives it such appeal. Take a chance andrent it, but be careful not to trust anything you see as absolute. Likethe train itself, reality in Transsiberian never ceases moving.Final Consensus: **** and 1/2 out of *****

Rene Rodriguez 2012-05-22 10:36:04

Transsiberian is a model of audience manipulation, a slow-fuse thriller that builds its suspense gradually, in increments, until it has becomes close to unbearable. Then it pushes things just a little further, until you're squirming in your seat.

Todd Hertz 2012-05-22 02:38:49

It's got that classic thriller feel where characters are slowly caught in a mousetrap and they have to find their way out. It's a slow, menacing burn.

citizenchris 2012-05-16 20:22:41

By the ticket take the ride

Transsiberian 9-4-08By the ticket take the ride, this is the best way to describe myexperience with this film. I purchased my ticket and after the ridebegan my reaction was this is wrong and I wanted off. At first the filmseems cheesy and cliché. Woody Harrelson's dialog and characterizationwere a big reason that in the initial moments of the film I was sort ofworried. All I can say now is that I'm glad I stuck with it, because assoon as you think you've got the film pegged it changes on you. SureWoody's performance as Roy seems a bit much but it fits the characterthough I still feel that this aspect is the films weakest. Of note isthe fantastic Emily Mortimer who gives a wonderfully nuancedperformance as Jessie. Eduardo Noriega is also rather good as the films"homme fetale". Visually their seems to be a rather non-descript subtlelook, the hand held camera work is nicely done. The narrative movesalong at a solid pace that gets you comfortable then yanks the rug fromunder you...but in a tasteful way. A solid film to say the least onethat I will probably view again.

isabelle1955 2012-05-16 18:13:56

Slow Build to a Good Crescendo.

I knew almost nothing about this movie when we set out to see it acouple of Fridays ago, (chosen largely because we'd seen everythingelse showing locally that was worth the price of 2 tickets.) So I wasvery pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Transsiberian. Isn't itnice sometimes to go and see a movie which has been released withalmost no hype, but which turns out to be a real pleasure? Jessie(Emily Mortimer) and Roy (Woody Harrelson), an American couplereturning from a church sponsored visit to China, decide to have a bitof an adventure by taking the long route (train from Beijing to Moscow,right across Siberia) rather than flying straight home. En route theyfind themselves sharing a cabin with a young couple Carlos (EduardoNoriega whom I last saw in Vantage Point) and Abby (Kate Mara). Carlosis chatty, friendly and keen to make friends with Jessie. Abby is waryand quieter. Meanwhile in the Russian far east, Detective Grinko (BenKingsley) is caught up investigating a drug related murder on a ship.Drugs arrive from Asia in the port and are then offloaded to travel viatrain across Siberia. You don't have to be a genius to work out thatJessie and Roy find themselves caught up in the drug smuggling plot andthat Carlos and Abby are not just footloose young lovers.The main pleasure of this movie is not in the suspense but in theatmosphere, performances and slow crescendo. Shot lovingly on location(China, Russia and Lithuania principally I think), this Europeanco-production features the kind of authentic settings it's justimpossible to re-create in a studio; the cold wintry lighting, thedirty slush covered streets, the coniferous forests in winter, the big,dirty, powerful engines, the stark lives of the country people in postcommunist Russia. I shivered just watching! The train interiors (shotin a studio I have no doubt) are claustrophobic and noisy, although myhusband, who has traveled across Russia by train, tells me the carattendants are in reality much nicer than as shown here! The first twothirds of Transsiberian are engaged with lovingly drawing the viewerinto the lives of this character driven thriller, sucking us intoJessie and Roy's little adventure as it starts to go horribly wrong.The last third is a tense action packed denouement featuring trains,torture, drugs, death, corruption and retribution. There are some holesin the plot, it's not perfect; but on the whole I thought it muchbetter than some of the big name hypes I've seen this year.Emily Mortimer, about who I know very little although I saw her inParis je t'aime and Match Point, certainly conveys the cold bleaknessof The Russian Steppes well; she looked appropriately pinched andfrozen, as if she suffered permanent chill blains. Woody Harrelson wasexceptionally good. I thought this one of the best things I've seen himdo. For me the only slight problem was Ben Kingsley. I just couldn'treally believe in him as a bent Russian cop. Maybe it's me not him, buthe seems to me to one of those actors who is rather larger than life,thus making it difficult to sink into a role. I was always totallyaware that this was Ben Kingsley, pretending to be a Russian. Butleaving that aside, a surprisingly good, low key, no hype movie.

dromasca 2012-05-10 13:18:28

not the best train thriller

Train thrillers have a long tradition in the history of cinema, and itwas with some expectations that I started to watch this film.Unfortunately many of my fears were confirmed. Everything works alittle bit less than well in 'Transsiberian'. The story of the pair ofAmericans caught in an intrigue of drugs traffic in the remotelandscape of Siberia lacks surprises. Most of the cast does a good job,but Ben Kingsley disappoints again - he seems to collect exotic rolesbut it is difficult even for Kingsley to play the villain after he wasonce Gandhi. The post-Soviet Russia and its people are caricatured in aheavy and simplistic manner. Even the constrained space of the train isleft for a number of times breaking the pace and lowering the tension.Unfortunately this train does not travel too far.

2012-05-10 01:18:24

Very engaging story

Roy (Harrelson) and Jesse (Mortimer) are traveling by train from Chinathru Russia and encounter another couple who they form a bond with, butafter a while Jesse discovers this couple isn't what they appear to be.Oh, oh. This story starts out like one of those old coal-fired train engines,you know slow, slow, slow, a little faster, a little faster, faster,faster then look out as it hits full throttle. Once the story hitscruising speed the suspense builds and builds as you see characterscaught between rocks and a hard places. You are fully awake now and the"Oh, hum" has been replaced by "oh, man" and you are fully engaged.This is quite a ride and there are some twists and turns on the railsto keep you guessing. Ben Kingsley as the Russian Detective is outstanding (well, he alwaysis) and his Russian accent is pure gold. How does he do it? The rest ofthe cast performed exceedingly well.There was one annoying thing in the beginning: subtitles that were, attimes, white or yellow on white and hard to read and some were quitelong too. But this didn't take away from the story although I thoughtit would have. It didn't. But, if you are going to have subtitles, makesense with them. Yes, the story took a little too long to get going, but once it doesyou may feel somewhat embarrassed by your comment: "when is this goingto start?" ( I did) because you will come to see that this is good,good, really good, really good, really goooooooo………Violence: Yes. Sex: Yes, in the beginning, but more like a heavy makeout session. Nudity: No. Language: Yes, there is some, not much in thebeginning.

Brent Simon 2012-05-07 06:40:17

Nowadays, Kingsley is a bit like the English version of Morgan Freeman - an actor with a seemingly inherent reservoir of gravitas, yet no qualms about glossy paycheck gigs.

Garth Franklin 2012-05-06 12:40:52

This is a slow, deliberate and carefully thought out piece for adults who like to savour rather than devour their thrills

James Verniere 2012-05-05 15:06:25

Can you say, "No good deed goes unpunished?"

johnnyboyz 2012-05-05 01:34:29

The nightmare that ensues when a couple venture off the beaten track, following time dedicated to nothing but aiding.

If Brad Anderson has displayed a better example of being able toconstruct a tense and taut thriller prior to the only other film of histhat I've seen, namely The Machinist, then I haven't come across ityet. Transsiberian, the 2008 thriller that sees many-a differentindividual from many-a different nation combine to deliver somethingthoroughly satisfying, is quite the little train ride into Hell; areturn ticket to an isolated place of terror you really don't want tobe anywhere near, in which half way down the line, your 'return' halfgoes missing. The world in which Transsiberian unfolds is cold, distantand lonely; the manner in which the characters act in their efficiencyis equally cold, but disturbingly clinical and additionally calculated;whereas the experience of the film is one that is both terrifying andengrossing.The film centres around an American couple travelling from avolunteering exercise in China, by way of most of Eastern Europe, whenit transpires they're taking the Transsiberian train through the snowy;ice cold nether-regions of Russia. Having just finished helping; aidingand making good on those less fortunate, attentions in getting by, andjust generally surviving, must drastically switch as they themselvesbecome potential victims of harm; foulness; ruthlessness andcorruption. This, as these items plus a real sense of wrongdoing andevil take over as the ingredients of the game for the journey home.The couple are Woody Harrelson's Roy and Emily Mortimer's Jessie, anodd twosome; a partnership that sees one half in Roy, a guy ratherinfatuated with a number of hulking, parked trains situated in andaround train stop goods yards, waltzing around with his encyclopedicknowledge and somewhat typical appearance of someone of an 'anorak'nature. This as they encounter another young couple in Carlos(Noriega), a ruggedly handsome and somewhat sexualised Hispanic maletravelling with Abby (Mara), a pretty but somewhat vampish Americangirl. The retaining of Jessie, in the nicest possibly sense, as easilyunclassifiable in appearance or 'type' helps in us relating to her,becoming aligned with her, and aids in the racking up of tension atlater times when her life is at great stake.Indeed it is Jessie that stands at the station at the beginning of thetrain trip, looking at the large map directly in front of her justprior to setting out. It's a large map; an intimidating map; aconfusing map, with that feeling of it being the sort of journey aheadof you that you'd desperately like to pass off without much incident asyou venture out into the unknown. Her gaze lingers on it a while beforeshe shuffles off, unaware of exactly what lies ahead of her. It is ajourney of which is instigated by the MacGuffin of the piece, an itemthat seems to be missing from one of the film's early scenes when theaftermath of a drug deal minus heroin is found by Ben Kingsley'sRussian cop, Ilya Grinko, and his crew.Transsiberian is good, old fashioned thrills and spills withoutanything fancy; without anything overly visual on screen that feels asif it exists purely in order to grab your attention - it's just good,honest build-up; crucible and straight forward terror. A good exampleof this approach is highlighted early on during the train journey, whena tiny altercation with a figure of authority plants some ominous seedsfollowed by a casual overhearing of a conversation on Jessie's behalf,that of which sees a Frenchman talking to someone else of the Russianlaw enforcers in the area, and the iron fist with which they rule that,on this occasion in this story, something as seemingly trivial as amisspelling on someone's Visa saw a hapless individual loose two toes.Director Anderson's changing of tact to enforce a sense of observingthis harrowing story through the eyes of Jessie is enforced when aninstance sees Roy unable to make it back to the train after it pullsout of a station stop, after which Anderson constructs the world Jessieinhabits within the train more in a more ominous and scarier mannerthan before. The people appear uglier and more hostile; this doesn'tsuggest Jessie needs Roy to hold her hand as he leads her through thefilm, more-over, that sense of loss of a companion in a foreignterritory twinned with the menace both on and off screen parties carrylinger, ominously, at the back of one's mind. Eventually, Jessie'ssporadic interactions with Carlos lead them into the rural wildernessin which certain incidences play out, thus paving the way forparticular revelations to unfold later on.Anderson's screenplay, which he co-wrote with Will Conroy, is full oftwists and turns that bend the film down routes of both thrills andscares, producing a number of scenes of great effectiveness revolvingaround a routine set up, as well as finding time to shed some light onone's moral standpoint when certain events unfold out in thewilderness. The film's separating of its different tones and situationsis near-flawless. In providing us with this nicest of nice couples, whothen rendez-vous with another couple; before branching out into a filmthat sees a particular character coming into contact with items theyreally don't want to have anything to do with, the makers demonstrate aclear ability to change gears very naturally and let the film flow. Allthis, before settling for sheer horror following the noir-infused seedsthat were sewn; this when a clear establishment of an antagonisticforce to threaten those we've come to associate ourselves with, as wellas the overseeing of some serious stakes being raised. Transsiberian isa romping, thrilling ride; a combination of promising to deliver on alevel of generic thrills plus creative and natural film-making.

moviewizguy 2012-04-29 04:40:55

Arrive on time.

A Trans-Siberian train journey from China to Moscow becomes a thrillingchase of deception and murder when an American couple encounters amysterious pair of fellow travelers.I was really serious about this movie. Critics called it one of thebetter thrillers created and people seemed to like it a lot. I wasquite excited. What's the outcome? Ummm, it was one of the betterthrillers, yes, but it didn't pass my expectations. There's a huge setup for the first 50 minutes of the film. When the ball finally getsrolling, the film is intense, and I do mean intense! That's until thelast scene, which was really weak and seemed tacked on.That's the whole film. I really enjoyed the thrilling aspect of thefilm. I also appreciated the build up. The ending seems to be my onlymain, protruding flaw in this film. Yes, I think it's that bad tocomplain about it. I also found the film fresh, comparing with otherthrillers that have car chases and explosions. This is just one ofthose thrillers made years ago, where the plot matters, you know?However, I do think Woody Harrelson is miscast here. I just didn't likehim in this movie. He seemed too old comparing his on screen wife,Emily Mortimer. Yes, I get bothered with things like that. Thesupporting cast fits really well into the movie. I enjoyed theircharacters. I've only seen one other of Brad Anderson's films, "TheMachinest." I do think that film is much better, though, but he didwell with this.Some might complain the slow build up to what's going to happen aroundthe 50 minute mark. However, I'm not complaining. I like thrillers likethis when everything sets up to the conflict, where the tension andsuspense builds out of nowhere and growing each second. It literallyhappens like that. Once the ball gets rolling, you won't be complaining(well, perhaps the ending). This is quite a refreshing and tautthriller.

JoBlo 2012-04-28 21:22:37

A unique picture that left me feeling -- for the first time in a very long time -- like I'd actually been in another place, another world...so very different from my own.

siderite 2012-04-25 08:25:39

Boring thriller, with Ben Kingsley in an insignificant role

I wanted to go to Russia and travel with the Transsiberian train. Now Iknow I don't want to anymore. Other than that, the movie had absolutelyno merit. The script is inspired by some of the many bad roadthrillers, the characters are completely impossible to empathize with -they are all arrogant, annoying, egotistical and ultimately stupid -the scenery isn't even so beautiful and the only feeling you aregetting when watching is impatience: when is this going to end?Woody Harrelson seems to play in increasingly insignificant roles, BenKingsley is there only to bring people into the theater, and the bottomline is this: don't watch it. It will bore you to death.

gradyharp 2012-04-25 00:11:21

Train Games and Atrocities

TRANSSIBERIAN is a one note song. Set almost entirely in theclaustrophobia of the Trans Siberian Express train that winds fromBeijing to Moscow through the snowy terrain of Siberia, the story ofdeception and drug trafficking chugs along with some significantinterruptions. But in the end the film suffers from the monotonesetting of snow and terror. A carefree young couple is completing a missionary program of good willin Beijing for their church. Jessie (Emily Mortimer) is a photographer,Roy (Woody Harrelson) is fascinated by trains, and the couple headshome from their mission of goodwill on the Trans Siberian Express. Theyshare a compartment with a strange couple - the seductive Carlos(Eduardo Noriega) and his young girlfriend Abby (Kate Mara) - whoselivelihood is drug trafficking. Jessie is drawn into Carlos' world andemotional field: a tragedy occurs and Jessie must confide in herhusband that the couple they were growing to know is not what theyseem. A police inspector Grinko (Ben Kingsley) joins the train and thethriller portion of the film picks up speed until the final somewhatsurprising set of discoveries complete the story. Emily Mortimer owns the screen when she is present and carries ourcompassion despite circumstances less than honorable. There are holes aplenty in the script by writer/director Brad Anderson and Will Conroy,but jump on for the ride through the winter terrain - entertainment isalways present. Grady Harp

Hitchcoc 2012-04-23 03:01:44

Strangers in a Strange Land!

It's always interesting to me when I come across a film that I didn'teven know existed and find it utterly enthralling. While I wasn'tterribly enamored with the characters in this movie, I couldn't stopwatching it. Ray and Jessie are products of a spoiled American culture.To justify themselves the do a little church work. They help out. Ofcourse, it's a hit and run thing where you do your thing and then geton the train. I have encountered so many mission trip junkies whotravel somewhere and a week later can barely remember anything otherthan the fun they had. The people whose lives they've encounteredbecome a forgotten moment. Ray, Woody Harrelson's character, is, to me,insufferable. He's the guy that has to turn everything he does intosome kind of adventure, something he can use to draw attention tohimself. In the process, he attracts danger. Jessie is full of baggageand much more acceptable in a sort of sick way. Now, I'm making itsound like I didn't like the picture which is not the case. Thesecharacters make the perfect foils for what ultimately happens. When thetwo strangers come into their lives, they are manipulated and used.However, when Ray, through is self-centered stupidity misses the train,it brings about an unforgettable event and a series of intense andpainful consequences. Then there's the spooky policeman played by BenKingsley whose quiet and intense presence is terrifying. I felt greatsatisfaction at the resolution of things. This movie is a true sleeperfor me, and I highly recommend it.

Ed Gonzalez 2012-04-22 07:55:38

Though not one for literal smoke and mirrors, master of horror Brad Anderson, with his panache for arousing fear from harried reality and rotted atmosphere, is still a shaman.