Transsiberian Movie Review (2008)

photo courtesy of First Look Studios

Remember those old mystery-train movies, especially the Alfred Hitchcock ones? Well, Transsiberian is a handsomely remodeled variation of that cherished genre, staring Woody Harrelson (Roy), Emily Mortimer (Jessie) and Ben Kingsley (Grinko), along with Eduardo Noriega (Carlos) and Kate Mora (Abby). Updating and manipulating the familiar tropes: erotic intrigue, conspiracy and deceit, and inauspicious glaring foreigners, director and screenwriters Brad Anderson (The Machinist) and Will Conroy created an extremely mysterious and stimulating melodrama that will have you on the edge of your seat.

After two weeks of Christian fellowship work, married couple Roy and Jessie opted for the picturesque route home via the Transsiberian railroad; Roy had a childhood fascination with toy trains, which is partly why Jessie agreed. Now before I get into the review any further, here’s a little background information on the Trans Siberian railway: it is one of the most famous train routes in the world, spanning 9297 km or 5776 miles in length from beginning to end and it travels all the way from Beijing to Moscow across the infamous Siberian landscape. Ok, back to the review. Imagine stepping aboard a rickety train (which is where most of the movie is set) in the midst of human clutter, sullen peasants and rowdy drunks, sleeping in cars in which travelers are packed like sardines, not to mention toilets that do not flush, an overtly hostile crew, dealing with drug-sniffing dogs and policeman at every stop; talk about ill omens. That would be enough to deter some people from jumping on the train but not Roy, a charismatic, sociable young man and Jessie, an amateur photographer and “bad girl” turned good after meeting her now husband. Roy met her when she hit rock bottom from drug and alcohol abuse and continuously supported her throughout her recovery. Just like any couple, they have their ups and downs; Jessie still clings to a cigarette habit that Roy hates and she’s not ready to start a family, while Roy longs for children; you will see throughout the movie that for all of Jessie’s surface primness, underneath she a reckless adventurer.

About those ill omens I mentioned, the fulfillment of the bad premonitions arrives in the form of a seductively handsome Spanish traveler named Carlos and his young, 20-something American girlfriend, Abby, who take up occupancy in Roy and Jessie’s stateroom. Shrouded in question marks, the couple is a suspiciously odd pair of international nomads claiming to be returning from a stint teaching English in Japan; two questions arise, what have they been doing on the road for the past two years and why was Carlos such a twit about knapsack of Russian dolls he was carrying around? As the couples befriend each other and share confidences, they all get drunk with the other passengers, except the abstinent Jessie. In his drunken taunts, Carlos does not miss a chance to insinuate his sexual interest to the rattled Jessie; all the while she pretends not to notice. Eventually, a much needed station stop comes up, allowing for a little “girl bonding”; Jessie pairs off with Abby, revealing her checkered past as a wild young woman who more than likely would have taken up with someone such as Carlos.

When the train heads out again through the snowy Siberian forest, Roy is not on board, pure panic sets in. The remaining threesome gets off at the next stop to await Roy’s promised arrival on the next day’s train, while the movie teases you into the notion that something dreadful has happened to him. In the absence of her husband, Carlos presses his advances, trying to bring out the “old” Jessie, but soon things go too far and she confronts him, an incident best left unspoken. While she clings to the secret, it is made worse when she finds herself her cabin with the Russian officer Grinko. With time on their hands, Carlos works his magic and coaxes Jessie into taking a bus trip to the countryside to hike in the forest, visit an old crumbling church relic, and take photographs, leaving Abby behind at the hotel. Needless to say, the rest of the drama hinges on horrific events that take place during this side trip. Not only that, the second half of the movie involves a murder, torturous interrogations, queasy decisions, and hand-to-hand combat.

Talk about suspense!!! This movie is truly a tantalizing mystery. Action-packed, with intensified paranoia, from the beginning to the end, you will not be disappointed. The acting was great, but in a subtle way. Emily Mortimer (Jessie) has the only fully developed character and she runs with it in a flavorful performance as a reformed “bad girl” with a massive opportunity to backslide. Although Harrelson’s character is seen as a simple country boy, his role complements that of Emily’s, but in my opinion, if his character were more developed, the movie would have been even more compelling and complex. We only see Ben Kingsley (Grinko), the duplicitous narcotics detective, a few times in the beginning of the movie, but we later get a full dose of him; brandishing an ambiguous smile and a threatening Russian accent. Carlos and Abby did a great job too. Outside of the acting, the imagery and landscape shots were awesome. If you get some free time, add “watch Transsiberian” to your “to do” list.

GRADE B+

Take a look at the movie trailer below. (IE users click here)