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:

Expresso Transiberiano

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

When Emily Mortimer was approached about appearing in this movie, she had only twenty-four hours to make a decision on the script. Not being familiar with co-Writer and Director Brad Anderson's previous works, she said yes immediately after reading the script.

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Goofs

Grinko wears his wedding ring on left hand. While Russians (as well as many other nations of the former Soviet Union) actually wear wedding rings on right hand, they will wear wedding rings on their left hands when they are divorced or widowed.

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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

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #7.126 (2009)

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Soundtracks

All Out Of Love
("Little Storm")
Written by Graham Russell and Clive Davis

User Reviews

Character Driven Train Ride from Hell

Brad Anderson is probably the best unknown director working today. He's the independent Christopher Nolan, often making character-driven, psychologically complex flicks that transcend the trappings of their respective genres. In the past he has successfully combined elements from time-travel thrillers and romantic comedies in 2000's "Happy Accidents", delivered a taut "Shining"-esque thriller in 2001's "Session 9" and then provided a stirring Hitchcock homage with 2004's "The Machinist" (which also featured a gonzo performance from Christian Bale). With "Transsiberian" Anderson attempts to breath life back into the often forgotten train-based thriller. Like those three earlier films, "Transsiberian" was made on the cheap, yet still manages to feature great camera-work and well known faces headlining the cast. In terms of the logistics of the location shooting in Lithuania (doubling as Siberia), this arrives as Anderson's most accomplished film from a technical standpoint.

The story starts off with an American couple (a goofy Woody Harrelson and a criminally underrated Emily Mortimer) returning from missionary work in China by route of the famous Transsiberian railroad. Once on board the train, they befriend a young couple (Kata Mara and Eduardo Noriega) who claim to be student-teachers returning from Japan but might be hiding something sinister. The screenplay does a good job of building up to "something" and developing the characters, especially Mortimer's Jessie, delving into her past with expository dialog that makes you care about where these characters are headed and think deeply about their motives. Without giving away too much of the film, entanglements ensue as a drug smuggling operation comes to light, and in steps Ben Kingsley (excellent as a Russian bruiser) as a narcotics detective with a special interest in the case.

There is a point, however, where (pardon the pun) the screenplay derails, and despite some unexpected twists, there never seems to be that big payoff. The film keeps the viewer on their toes with a bizarre turn of events at an abandoned church and a shockingly grim torture scene, but the psychological ramifications of these events are never probed as deeply as they could've been. The seductively cute Mortimer gives a nervy, complex, and excellent performance as Jessie, keeping the viewer invested in her character and what could happen to her even as the screenplay goes all over the map with her development. Woody Harrelson's performance is more of a conundrum as he seems to be playing a book-smart version of his moronic character from "Cheers". He makes you laugh during some of the more ridiculous scenes as the plot holes get deeper, and whether that was intentional or not to break the tension or gloss over the leaps of logic is never clear.

"Transsiberian" should please those looking for something different from your run-of-the-mill Hollywood thriller. Though the screenplay initially gives us characters that feel like real people, the mechanics of the convoluted plot spoil the potential of that development. However, the film still offers up an exotic locale, solid direction, and interesting performances, which makes it easy to recommend.