The Missing Person (2009)

Private detective John Rosow is hired to tail a man on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Rosow gradually uncovers the man's identity as a missing person; one of the thousands presumed ... See full summary »

Director:

Noah Buschel

Writer:

Noah Buschel

Stars:

Michael Shannon, Frank Wood, Amy Ryan

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Shannon	...	John Rosow
Frank Wood	...	Harold Fullmer
Amy Ryan	...	Miss Charley
Linda Emond	...	Mrs. Fullmer
John Ventimiglia	...	Hero Furillo
Margaret Colin	...	Lana Cobb
Paul Sparks	...	Gus Papitos
Yul Vazquez	...	Don Edgar
Paul Adelstein	...	Drexler Hewitt
Kate Arrington	...	Jane Rosow
Anthony Esposito	...	Javier Reyes
Liza Weil	...	Agent Chambers
Daniel Franzese	...	Agent Craig
Merritt Wever	...	Mabel Page
Gary Wilmes	...	L.A. Cop

Storyline

Private detective John Rosow is hired to tail a man on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Rosow gradually uncovers the man's identity as a missing person; one of the thousands presumed dead after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Persuaded by a large reward, Rosow is charged with bringing the missing person back to his wife in New York City.

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Plot Keywords:

missing person | train | detective | private detective | alcoholic | 

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Taglines:

John Rosow is a private investigator. And an alcoholic. He just got the case of his life.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 2009 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Az eltűnt személy

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$2,715 (USA) (20 November 2009)

Gross:

$17,580 (USA) (19 February 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

7th Floor, The, Apropos Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When the train pulls into what's supposed to be Union Station, Los Angeles, the platform is really in Downtown San Diego. John Rosow is next seen in front of Union Station which is 120 miles away by air. Previously, when he boarded the train (the California Zephyr) in Chicago, the same San Diego platform (including the trunk of a palm tree) can be seen briefly through the window. The California Zephyr does not go to either San Diego or LA. It terminates in Emeryville.

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Quotes

[first lines]
John Rosow: I could lie there forever. But the phone rang.
[ringing]
John Rosow: Hello?
[still ringing]

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Connections

Features Victory Through Air Power (1943)

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Soundtracks

"Latino Si"
Written and Performed by Coati Mundi
Courtesy of Coati Mundi Productions

User Reviews

A Man Out of Time

Neo-noir is the grandchild of film-noir which basically was an expressionist creative output that started to fade as an artistic style in the late 50's.

Neo-noir style films come in all sorts of forms. This one is an homage in the truest sense. It isn't some sort of underlying influence with a modern panache, it is a bare bones portrayal of a man out of time.

His time is when film noir flourished. A time when you could smoke where you wanted, coffee was made in a percolator on a stove, alcohol was carried in a flask, cops patrolled in cars (not some two wheeled foot extension), phones had a cord attached, and a listening device was a stethoscope.

But our hero has been engulfed in some kind of post 911 time warp, sucked into a nether world where everything is slightly off center . It's a tale of mistaken preconceptions, jazz, and a big cash payout.

A good looking retro feel and an incredible, twisted face, lead performance make this a fine homage and a grandchild worth loving.