Transsiberian (2008)

A Transsiberian train journey from China to Moscow becomes a thrilling chase of deception and murder when an American couple encounters a mysterious pair of fellow travelers.

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers:

Brad Anderson, Will Conroy

Stars:

Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley

2 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Harrelson	...	Roy
Emily Mortimer	...	Jessie
Ben Kingsley	...	Grinko
Kate Mara	...	Abby
Eduardo Noriega	...	Carlos Ximénez
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Kolzak
Etienne Chicot	...	Frenchman
Mac McDonald	...	Minister
Colin Stinton	...	Embassy Official
Perlis Vaisieta	...	Manager Hotel Pushkin
Mindaugas Papinigis	...	Young Detective
Mindaugas Capas	...	Military Officer
Sonata Visockaite	...	Female Train Attendant #1
Larisa Kalpokaite	...	Female Train Attendant #2
Valentinas Krulikovskis	...	Young Waiter

Storyline

Americans abroad. Roy and Jessie finished a volunteer stint in China. He loves trains, so they go home via the Trans-Siberia Express. There are strains in the relationship, including her past. They meet Carlos, a Spaniard, traveling with Abby, a young American. Carlos keeps close to Jessie, and when Roy is left behind and waits a day for the next train so he can catch up, Jessie and Carlos take a trip into the dead of winter to photograph a ruined church. Carlos may be running drugs, so, later, when Roy catches up and introduces Jessie to his new pal, an English speaking Russian narcotics detective, he's the last person Jessie wants to see. Will the Siberian desolation be their undoing?

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Plot Keywords:

train | drugs | travel | trans siberian railway | murder | 

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Taglines:

You can't escape your lies.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence, including torture and language

Details

Official Sites:

First Look Studios Official site [Germany]

Country:

UK Germany Spain Lithuania

Language:

English Russian Spanish Mandarin French

Release Date:

5 September 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Transsiberian

Filming Locations:

China

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$34,615, 20 July 2008

Gross USA:

$2,206,405

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,926,410

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmax International, Canal+ España, Filmax Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital EX (as Dolby Digital Surround EX)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Emily Mortimer and Sir Ben Kingsley worked together on Hugo (2011).

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Goofs

They show a wolf at the church scene. Carlos would have been eaten by wolves after he was left dead in the woods.

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Quotes

passenger: [about the Gulag] If you want proof about America, you take a book. You want proof about Russia, take shovel. They're all buried here. Scientists, priests, poets. There is no God, and there is no Siberia.

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Alternate Versions

9 secs of cuts to shots of a knife being pressed into a leg wound were removed from the UK DVD release in order to achieve a 15 classification. Cuts were made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy. An uncut 18 was available.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Mamma Mia!/Transsiberian/The Dark Knight/Space Chimps/Tell No One (2008)

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Soundtracks

Brigantina
Written by P. Kagan & G. Lepskyi
Performed by Pesni Nashego Veka

User Reviews

Spain | Germany | UK | Lithuania co-production compellingly shot by magnificent filmmaker Brad Anderson

This nail-biting film packs mystery , plot twists , violence , suspense in a dark atmosphere with imposing tension and intrigue . It deals with a Trans-Siberian train (at eight days, the Transsiberian Express from Beijing to Moscow is the world's longest train journey) voyage from China to Moscow becomes a thrilling chase of deception and murder when an American couple (Woody Harrelson , Emily Mortimer who can speak Russian in real life) encounters a mysterious pair (Eduardo Noriega , Kate Mara) of fellow travelers . Meanwhile , a narcotics inspector (Ben Kingsley was director Brad Anderson's first choice for the role) is investigating a drug smuggling .

Intriguing film contains thrills , chills , suspense , twists and turns , and results to be quite entertaining . The atmosphere and perverse intrigue enhance as well as the relationship among two couples develops . The picture was partly inspired from director Brad Anderson's youth when he did in fact ride the Transsiberian Express . Among the references that Brad Anderson drew on were the films North by Northwest , Strangers in a train , The lady vanishes , Runaway train , Dead calm and the book "Crime and Punishment" . Transsiberian had the misfortune of opening on the same weekend as Dark Knight , the second biggest film in history. The real starring Emily Mortimer is acceptable as a depressed and former ¨bad girl¨ who leads herself a madness spiral and killing , Eduardo Noriega is pretty good as a suspicious young with dark secrets ; both of whom play two gloomy characters . Furthermore , top-notch Ben Kingsley as a tough Police Inspector and brief acting by German Thomas Kretschmann as Kolzak . Xavi Gimenez cinematography is excellent creating a frightening and scary atmosphere , he's expert on sombre photography (Fragile , Intact , Nameless) , being stunningly shot on location in China , Vilnius , Lithuania and Russia . Mesmerizing and intriguing musical score by Alfonso Villalonga (My life without me , Snow white , Princesses) . The flick was finely produced by the chairman of Filmax Productions , Julio Fernandez along with his brother Carlos Fernandez as executive producer , they're two successful producers and experts on terror genre , producing a lot of hits , such as ¨The machinist¨, ¨Rec ¨1¨, 2¨ and ¨3¨ , ¨Fragiles¨, ¨Darkness¨, ¨El perfume¨ , ¨The nun¨ , ¨Backwoods¨ and many others .

The motion picture was well written and directed by Brad Anderson . He is a good filmmaker who has directed thought-provoking and thrilling films such as ¨Happy accidents¨ , ¨Session 9¨ , ¨The machinist¨ , and ¨The call¨ his last film starred by Halle Berry . Transsiberian , rating : Good and above average, it's one the highest earning suspense picture of the last years ; it is an astounding film with tension , blood, shocks and violence .