Takes a more cerebral route, toying with your expectations only to give you something else, whispering hints of what fate might have in store for the characters after the credits roll.
Transsiberian (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:73
Fresh:66
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Traditional in form yet effective in execution, this taut thriller updates the "danger on a train" scenario with atmospheric sense.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for some violence, including torture and language.
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Jul 18, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $2,026,565
Synopsis: With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an... With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an interesting formal exercise, Anderson this time shoots his film in color and roots it firmly in the present. Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) have just finished working with children overseas as part of a church project. Before flying back to the States, they decide to travel from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express train, where they meet two fellow travelers, the handsome Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and young Abby (Kate Mara). The couples bond, but gradually Jessie becomes worried that her new friends are involved in drug trafficking. At that point, the web has been spun, and when the intimidating Russian detective, Grinko (Ben Kingsley), arrives, Roy and Jessie become innocent targets in a dangerous chase. Anderson's script, co-written with Will Conroy, helps to elevate TRANSSIBERIAN beyond mere thriller status. Without the suspense, it remains a well-executed portrait of a complicated relationship between two real people. Mortimer is her usual fantastic self, and it's fun to watch Harrelson play an average, upbeat American guy. Throw the always riveting Kingsley into the mix and you have a motion picture that is above average in every way. By the time the film reaches its payoff, viewers will have felt as if they, too, took a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express. [More]
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara
Director: Brad Anderson
Director: Brad Anderson
Screenwriter: Will Conroy, Brad Anderson
Producer: Julio Fernandez
Composer: Alfonso De Vilallonga
Studio: First Look
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Reviews for Transsiberian
Transsiberian is more than a rote thriller; it’s also a sharp character study... actually, several studies in which the information about each character is slowly revealed and every scrap of knowledge further informs our understanding of the plot.
Though Anderson's storytelling gets murky at times, it's still a fine showcase for his versatility, adding to an impressive, under-the-radar résumé.
Modest thriller set aboard the titular train plays like low-suspense Hitchcock until sadly, in the last act, it derails.
Unfortunately, there's never a moment where you can't see Anderson and his co-writer, Will Conroy, yanking on the strings.
A well mounted, character-cognizant combination of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train and Andrei Konchalovskys existentially tinged Runaway Train.
It takes its sweet time, but Transsiberian is a frosty, gripping ride on the terror train. It maintains the generous beat, giving audiences a nice jolt of xenophobia to go with their helping of traditional thrills.
Director Brad Anderson throws in a red herring or two as he comments on Eurotrash and the greed-fueled lawlessness of the former Soviet Union, but he ultimately makes an even stronger statement about the dark side of female empowerment.
Transsiberian starts in neutral, taking the time to introduce its characters, and then goes from second into high like greased lightning. I was a little surprised to notice how thoroughly it wound me up. This is a good one.
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.
as Hitchcockian thrillers go, it's one of the smarter and more absorbing ones made in recent years
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.
Even if you've seen lots of movies of this type and can figure out exactly what's going to happen, Anderson takes great pleasure in the pure form and execution of it.
Whenever you may think you know where things are going, Anderson throws a number of clever and unexpected twists that keeps you on your toes.
This is a slow, deliberate and carefully thought out piece for adults who like to savour rather than devour their thrills
Transsiberian has more twists and turns in it than the real-life, extensive train route that gives this independently produced suspense-thriller its name.
I’m not saying it’s that good, but it’s a solid if sometimes messy and confusing crime story.
This Hitchcockian thriller should become the most commercial film of versatile indie helmer Anderson who adds an honorable panel to the genre of train-set suspensers by updating the characters, conflicts and physical locale (from China to Russia).
Latest News for Transsiberian
January 13, 2009:
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November 03, 2008:
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August 07, 2008:
Exclusive Clip: Strangers and a Train in Transsiberian
Strangers on a train get caught in a web of murder and drug trafficking in Brad Anderson's exotic thriller, Transsiberian. Watch an exclusive clip from the film here. More...
July 17, 2008:
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