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Derailed (2005)
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Synopsis: Coming off the series finale of FRIENDS, Jennifer Aniston sets out to prove herself a serious actress with DERAILED, a tense thriller that is anything but funny. While the film gives most of its screen time to Clive Owen, Aniston proves, as in THE GOOD GIRL, that she is capable of pulling off a... Coming off the series finale of FRIENDS, Jennifer Aniston sets out to prove herself a serious actress with DERAILED, a tense thriller that is anything but funny. While the film gives most of its screen time to Clive Owen, Aniston proves, as in THE GOOD GIRL, that she is capable of pulling off a dramatic role. Meeting on a commuter train one morning in Chicago, ad executive Charles (Owen) and financial analyst Lucinda (Aniston) have an immediate connection. Worn down by his job, strained marriage, and a sick child, Charles finds himself drawn to the escape Lucinda can offer. A lunch meeting, followed by dinner and drinks, leads the way to a rendezvous in a sleazy motel, where no sooner have the adulterous lovebirds ripped each other's clothes off than a sadistic thief (Vincent Cassel) breaks into the room and puts them through hours of nightmarish horror. Because of their relationship's illicit nature, the two are unable to go to the cops, and are thus virtually powerless to their attacker's every whim, leaving themselves open to blackmail as he threatens their families and lives. Choosing momentary gratification and the excitement of the unknown over the values he generally holds dear, Charles more than pays the price for his indiscretion. Playing off his audience's greatest fears, director Mikael Hafstrom creates some scenes so horrific they are sure to haunt viewers for hours after the credits roll. A morality tale of sorts, DERAILED explores the terrible effects of lying and infidelity, while the film's most powerful scenes leave viewers with the paranoid feeling that the only person you can trust is yourself. [More]
Genre: Thriller, Marriage, Theatrical Release
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen, Vincent Cassel, Melissa George, RZA
Screenwriter: Stuart Beattie
Producer: Lorenzo Di Bonaventura
Composer: Ed Shearmur
Reviews
Vincent Cassel has a huge amount of fun as LaRoche, overacting the Evil Frenchman bit to the point where he's practically twirling a moustache.
Gripping while it lasts, but will be hard to remember in the morning.
Talent is involved everywhere in Derailed, and it all gets trashed in the final reel for the sake of teasing and then appeasing a bored November audience.
One of those forgettable efforts that's neither bad enough to completely dismiss nor good enough to wholly recommend.
The only thing harder to believe than someone falling for so obvious a ruse is for that same someone to have any chance of getting even for it.
What finally derails the movie is that it thinks it's a lot smarter than it is.
Derailed's primary strength -- a topsy turvy plot that will keep viewers guessing -- is also its main weakness. While the story developments are exciting and often surprising, most are based on [Clive Owen's character] making the stupidest possible
Típico asunto de receta (con mensaje moral solapado) que pretende sorprender con supuestas "vueltas de tuerca" pero apenas logra entretener.
Em retrospecto, os vários furos do roteiro se tornam óbvios, e o fato é que Aniston não convence como femme fatale. Mas Owen e Cassel nos mantém atentos e relativamente crédulos durante a projeção.
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