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Movies / On DVD / Transsiberian
Transsiberian

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Transsiberian (2008)

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Reviews Counted:72

Fresh:65

Rotten:7

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Traditional in form yet effective in execution, this taut thriller updates the "danger on a train" scenario with atmospheric sense.

Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an... With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an interesting formal exercise, Anderson this time shoots his film in color and roots it firmly in the present. Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) have just finished working with children overseas as part of a church project. Before flying back to the States, they decide to travel from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express train, where they meet two fellow travelers, the handsome Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and young Abby (Kate Mara). The couples bond, but gradually Jessie becomes worried that her new friends are involved in drug trafficking. At that point, the web has been spun, and when the intimidating Russian detective, Grinko (Ben Kingsley), arrives, Roy and Jessie become innocent targets in a dangerous chase. Anderson's script, co-written with Will Conroy, helps to elevate TRANSSIBERIAN beyond mere thriller status. Without the suspense, it remains a well-executed portrait of a complicated relationship between two real people. Mortimer is her usual fantastic self, and it's fun to watch Harrelson play an average, upbeat American guy. Throw the always riveting Kingsley into the mix and you have a motion picture that is above average in every way. By the time the film reaches its payoff, viewers will have felt as if they, too, took a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express. [More]

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Thomas Kretschmann, Eduardo Noriega, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara

Director: Brad Anderson

Director: Brad Anderson
Screenwriter: Will Conroy, Brad Anderson
Producer: Julio Fernandez
Composer: Alfonso De Vilallonga
Studio: First Look

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Reviews for Transsiberian

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41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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The patient viewer should find Trannsiberian to be a rewarding experience. Hitch would be proud.

Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | comment Comment
08/08/08
Jeff Otto
Jeff Otto
ReelzChannel.com

A movie whose inspiration comes straight from the DNA of some of Hitchcock's finest classics, Anderson's latest is a languid, sometimes engaging thriller that unfortunately fails to elevate those existing clichés and conventions beyond the parameters of w

Full Review Source: IGN Movies | comment Comment
08/08/08
Todd Gilchrist
Todd Gilchrist
IGN Movies

Terrific thriller set aboard the Russian train, with Mortimer standing out as a restless American woman with a lot to hide and more to fear.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
08/08/08
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

A queasy-making train thriller directed with vibrant visual panache by Brad Anderson.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
08/08/08
Jan Stuart
Jan Stuart
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

... an absolute nail-biter, one of the most plausible and best constructed thrillers in years.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
08/08/08
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

Anderson and his very fine cast keep things chugging along at a breathless pace.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
08/07/08
Scott Foundas
Scott Foundas
L.A. Weekly

Has terrific Siberian location work, a carefully constructed atmosphere of creeping dread and an outstanding performance by Emily Mortimer.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
07/24/08
Andrew O'Hehir
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com

A well mounted, character-cognizant combination of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train and Andrei Konchalovskys existentially tinged Runaway Train.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
07/24/08
Mark Keizer
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine

Modest thriller set aboard the titular train plays like low-suspense Hitchcock until sadly, in the last act, it derails.

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/21/08
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Transsiberian is a cool movie--and not just because it takes place in the sub-zero terrain of Siberia.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
07/21/08
Shirley Sealy
Shirley Sealy
Film Journal International

I’m not saying it’s that good, but it’s a solid if sometimes messy and confusing crime story.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
07/21/08
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper

The execution is masterful and even as you see the building blocks of the climax being put into place, it's a delight to watch them fit just so.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/18/08
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Transsiberian makes provocative connections between external and internal states, the ways that composition can reveal character.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
07/18/08
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

A handsomely remodeled variation of a cherished genre you might call the mystery-train movie.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
07/18/08
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The cramped, cold setting creates an appropriately ominous atmosphere, and while Mortimer and Harrelson are noticeably mismatched, their journey together is compelling enough to make the ride worthwhile.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
07/18/08
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News

An atmospheric, Hitchcockian thriller set aboard a famed train route, Brad Anderson's Transsiberian is a genuine sleeper that jump-starts an almost extinct genre.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
07/18/08
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Even if you've seen lots of movies of this type and can figure out exactly what's going to happen, Anderson takes great pleasure in the pure form and execution of it.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
07/17/08
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Truly tense, entertaining and -- and here's a word that's rarely used to describe American movies -- unpredictable.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
07/17/08
Kerry Douglas Dye
Kerry Douglas Dye
UGO

Anderson's most accessible film to date.

Full Review Source: Dread Central | comment Comment
07/17/08
Johnny Butane
Johnny Butane
Dread Central

Mortimer's portrayal of dubious grace under pressure and an action-packed third act balance out the film's shortcomings.

Full Review Source: Metromix.com | comment Comment
07/17/08
Geoff Berkshire
Geoff Berkshire
Metromix.com
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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Latest News for Transsiberian

January 13, 2009: Nolan, del Toro, Stanton and More on Golden Tomatoes
Awards season is officially in full swing, with the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes already behind us and several more ceremonies scheduled in the weeks to come. RT is... More...

November 03, 2008: RT on DVD: Get Smart, Futurama: Bender's Game and the Obama DVD Controversy
This week, pick up Steve Carell's sweetly bumbling spy antics (Get Smart), the promising new Futurama movie (Bender's Game), a few early holiday treats (Shrek the Halls, A... More...

August 07, 2008: Exclusive Clip: Strangers and a Train in Transsiberian
Strangers on a train get caught in a web of murder and drug trafficking in Brad Anderson's exotic thriller, Transsiberian. Watch an exclusive clip from the film here. More...

July 17, 2008: Critics Consensus: The Dark Knight Is One Of The Year's Best-Reviewed
This week, we've got the Caped Crusader (The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger), ABBA aficionados (Mamma Mia!, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried),... More...

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