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A Review of Brad Anderson's "Transsiberian"

David H. Schleicher — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:12:39 +0000

Character Driven Train Ride from Hell, 1 September 2008

Author: David H. Schleicher from New Jersey, USA

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.

Originally published on the Internet Movie Database:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800241/usercomments-24

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To check out some of Brad Anderson's excellent earlier work, read my reviews of:

Session 9: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0261983/usercomments-334

The Machinist: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361862/usercomments-161

Transsiberian Doesn't Deserve a Clever Title About How Terrible it Is

Tom Houseman — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:13:07 +0000

Do you have a pulse? How about brain function? Can you differentiate between basic shapes? Congratulations! If you answered yes to the above questions, you are smarter than director Brad Anderson gives you credit for. Brad Anderson made his new film, Transsiberian, under the assumption that the only people who would go see it are coma victims, dead caterpillars, and the writers of the upcoming Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Considering that he took the most generic plot possible, and did absolutely nothing new or interesting with it, for some reason Anderson still felt the need to treat the audience like the retarded kindergarten class that isn’t allowed to have a pet hamster. Of course, the result is a movie that is not just terrible, not just dreadfully boring, but that makes you wonder: is it possible to rip out my esophagus and then eat it?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Is she scared? Is she masturbating? Nobody knows."][/caption]

Please, don’t give in to these thoughts just because of Transsiberian. A movie this terrible just isn’t worth it. The story of a married American couple who get into crazy misadventures on a train from China to Russia could have been, at least, funny, but by treating this story with the importance of the second coming of Jesus, any gasp of life has been sucked out of it, and a predictable, melodramatic mess is all that remains. Woody Harrelson’s slack jawed and guffaw-filled imitation of a naïve American is the very definition of grating, and is the perfect example of a character you desperately want to be killed, hopefully in as painful a way as possible. Emily Mortimer’s embarrassing attempt at an American accent does nothing to help her dreadful performance, which consists of a quivering lip and wide eyes as a way of attempting to represent human emotion. Two terrible lead performances set the tone for a movie that fails at everything it attempts to do, except lead me to alcoholism as a way of escaping the pain.

Хорор во трансибирскиот воз

filmovimk — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:24:17 +0000

Американскиот пар Рој (Woody Harrelson) и Џеси (Emily Mortimer) одлучуваат од патувањето по Азија да се вратат со трансибирски експрес воз од Пекинг до Москва. Во возот се запознаваат со уште еден пар од Западот, Карлос (Eduardo Noriega) и Аби (Kate Mara) и се спријателуваат со нив. Но, кога Рој случајно ќе се одвои од групата на пауза, Џеси почнува да сфаќа дека нивните сопатници не се онакви какви што се претставуваат. Вистинската опасност се крие во ликот на рускиот детектив (Sir Ben Kingsley) и локалните патници кои почнуваат да ја тероризираат Џеси.

Трејлер и повеќе детали!!!

Weekend Movies

Liju Philip — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:05:51 +0000

3:10 to Yuma

My rating **** (4/5)

Transsiberian

My rating *** (3/5)

Ugly aur Pagli

Ranvir Shorey is brilliant. Mallika Sherawat is ok. And the movie is a copy of the Korean hit "My Sassy Girl".

My rating ** (2/5)

Bachna Ae Haseeno

Another lousy product from the Yash Raj stable. Cant believe that their standards have gone down so much. The movie is so boring that it was a drag watching it. And for all those who believe that Ranbir Kapoor is the next big thing, they can go take a hike. His face is too wodden with hardly two expressions on it and cant act to save his life. But when Abhishek 'butt ugly' Bachchan can survive, any moron can too.

My rating * (1/5)

Singh is King

Easily one of the worst movie i have ever seen in my life. The worst rubbish to come out of the hindi film industry in the past few years. Sad, such crap is the biggest grosser this year.

My rating (0/5)

Above pictures courtesy: IMDB & Santabanta

+++

Ben Kingsley: More Than Just Pee-Soaked Mop-Fighting

Erick Bieritz — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:10:25 +0000

Ben Kingsley has decided to become an actor again.

Kingsley’s most recent mention in this blog is here, which sadly may not even be his most demeaning film role. At the turn of the century, the Oscar-winning British knight had critical gravitas to spare for the range he demonstrated playing serious roles in big-ticket message movies like Gandhi and Schindler’s List as well as edgy indie films like Sexy Beast. Sure, he took occasional pay-the-bills supporting roles in the odd passable comedy (1993’s Dave) or pulpy sci-fi film (1995’s Species), but these didn’t significantly alter his image as an actor capable of incredible focus on weighty parts.

But in 2005 something went horribly wrong. Kingsley appeared in A Sound of Thunder and Bloodrayne, two films that were near-locks for worst-of-the-year lists. In separate years, they might not have looked so bad on his résumé, but Thunder’s delayed release made it an ugly one-two punch. Amnesia, insanity, or replacement by an evil doppelganger are among the few plausible explanations for Kingsley’s participation in these hideously unprofitable and critically embarrassing films.

That may be changing. The Wackness (out now), reportedly features Kingsley in an energized (and apparently energizing) role as a pot-smoking therapist connecting with a teenager. Transsiberian and Elegy (both later this year) feature him in a Sundance-screened mystery-on-a-train and a cultural critic in a Philip Roth story, respectively. All have the potential to be good solid impressive chances for Kingsley to, well, act.

One still needs to probably flat-out forgive him for The Love Guru and assume that John Cusack’s regime change parody War, Inc. and narration for the animated Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning are a wash. These are nonetheless encouraging signs that an unquestionably talented actor is coming back into his own in 2008.

Tell no one about the strangers on the train

Andrew — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:34:43 +0000

So, consistent with my apparent decision to transform this blog into a movie review site (there's a reason for this, really!), I've nothing to offer at the moment except a brief note on a couple of films I've seen recently. After praising 'Reprise' to high heaven while bemoaning the lackluster quality of the summer blockbusters (with 'The Dark Knight' and 'WALL*E' being the main exceptions), I thought I'd mention that there a couple of small but entertaining films still out there that are worth catching, if you have the time.

'Tell No One,' a French adaptation of the Harlan Coben mystery novel, is sharp and suspenseful; it's about a doctor who discovers that his wife - whom he thought was killed 8 years earlier in a brutal attack by a serial killer - may be alive, after all. The problem is that the police have now received fresh evidence to revive their suspicions of his involvement in the original crime, and he has to go on the run to clear his name and uncover the truth. It's thoroughly implausible but marvelously executed, even if I never did quite believe that the chain-smoking doctor, played by a decidedly middle-aged Francois Cluzet, would be able to run onto a highway and outrun the much younger, studly officers of the Parisian police force. Cluzet looks like Dustin Hoffman and gives an intense performance, but I also liked seeing Kristin Scott Thomas, showing off her French in a marvelously funny-bitchy role, and Jean Rochefort, who plays a forbiddingly cold patriarch whose involvement in the goings-on remain unclear until the end.

I remember Rochefort from his starring role, alongside Johnny Hallyday, in Patrice LeConte's great 2002 film, 'The Man on the Train,' worthwhile catching on DVD. And speaking of trains, if you're interested in suspense dramas in the Hitchcockian vein, you might want to see Brad Anderson's 'Transsiberian,' recently out in limited release, apparently. Anderson's one of those unheralded directors who's done such good work that seems to have gone by virtually unnoticed. I've managed to see a number of his films, including 'Next Stop, Wonderland' (with Hope Davis) and 'Happy Accidents' (with Marisa Tomei and Vincent D'Onofrio) both utterly charming romantic comedies. His films, to my mind, aren't marked so much by story as by tone and character and atmospherics; I read somewhere that bossa nova is his musical taste, and could be said to inform his cinematic sensibility as well. That being said, his 2001 film 'Session 9,' about an asbestos-removal team sent in to clean up an abandoned psychiatric hospital (played, in this case, by the truly abandoned and truly creepy Danvers State Insane Asylum), did not put me in a musical mood but scared the bejeezus out of me. Anderson's only real misstep, I thought, was 'The Machinist'; all of the attention to that film, which was perhaps his most commercially successful, was spent on Christian Bale's stunt, in which he lost a huge amount of weight in order to become the movie's haunted, cadaverous anti-hero. The story itself, though, was somewhat predictable, of the 'nothing is what it seems and everyone's out to get me' sort.

In any event, 'Transsiberian' is about a troubled couple (played by Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer) who are joined, suddenly, by a strange and mysterious pair (Eduardo Noriega and Kate Mara) on their week-long journey from Beijing to Moscow on the Transsiberian railway. Needless to say, not everyone makes it to the final destination, and Ben Kingsley, donning what seems to be a competent accent (though what do I know?) in the role of a Russian narcotics detective, has something to do with this. The film's all Emily Mortimer, who plays against type, to some extent, as a woman with a highly checkered and troubled past who finds her new role as the wife of a straight-laced and earnest church-goer somewhat restricting. Her restlessness - and more specifically, her memory of the dangerous pleasures of the unconstrained life - is what drives the movie forward or rather down into the abyss, and it's one of the strengths of Mortimer's performance here that even at the end, after all that's transpired, you're not quite convinced that she's finally reconciled herself to her current, seemingly more stable situation.

The film's hardly an advertisement for the Russian Tourist Board. Its depiction of the Russian Far East is one of endless vistas of cold and snow; and while that may be accurate (or at least unavoidable), more troublesome, perhaps, is its portrayal of contemporary Russian society as mired in limitless corruption and given to flares of wanton cruelty and violence (there's an especially excruciating torture scene at the film's climax). While the 'locals' show moments of kindness and hospitality to the Americans (who, as played by Harrelson especially, are naifs when it comes to reading people) these are typically fueled by imbibing large quantities of vodka, more or less; otherwise, in the cramped quarters of the train they show themselves in their more sober moods to be less concerned with the niceties of polite conversation and interaction.

Still, the film builds up, in an initially semi-leisurely pace, to its major plot points, allowing you to cultivate in the meanwhile a sense of dread of what's undoubtedly to come, so that even if the whole thing is rather unlikely (as are all mystery stories) in retrospect, the outcome feels as natural as could be. It's an effective work by a director who knows how to take his time.

EIFF Film Review: Transsiberian

Jon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:45:55 +0000

The Transibberian Express is a journey that for many holds near-mythical status. Much like the Orient Express, the idea of stepping aboard a train in Vladivostok (who knows anyone that's ever been to Vladivostok?!) only to disembark days later in Moscow has an air of romance about it - this is no Edinburgh to Glasgow commute with a cheap day return for under a tenner.

I was lucky enough to make some of the journey myself, taking a trip on the lesser-known Trans-Manchurian Express after a less than enthusiastic travel agent in Australia failed to work out how I could get from Beijing to Vladivostok in enough time to make the start of the Transsiberian trip.

Still, 15 days or so crossing the Gobi, Mongolia and much of Russia wasn't exactly a kick in the teeth, and it was with this knowledge I came to the new Hollywood spin on the journey, simply entitled Transsiberian.

Taking as its starting point the death of a man in Vladivostok, the investigation overseen by detective Grinko (Ben Kingsley), we are soon introduced to young couple Jessie (Emily Mortimer) and Roy (Woody Harrelson) who are travelling from China to Moscow before returning to the United States.

Meeting another couple on the train, Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and Abby (Kate Mara), Jessie's world is sent spinning as a web of lies and deceit start to derail her journey in more ways than one...

One of my all-time favourite films is The Lady Vanishes and it doesn't spoil anything too much to say that this film has traces of Hitchcock's classic in its DNA. Mysterious strangers, dodgy authority figures and moral dilemmas abound in a story that never feels too overburdened with homages, but rather relishes their inclusion as it plays with the audiences expectations.

A leisurely start allows a chance for us to get to know Jessie and Roy, or at least think that we do, with Mortimer in particular offering up a restrained performance that gets increasingly emotional as events progress. Harrelson is fine in support, but unsurprisingly it's Kingsley who steals the film from under everyones' nose as the charming and disarming detective.

Director Brad Anderson ensures that Russia looks amazing, the snowy landscape that the train twists and turns through looking picture postcard at all times.

However all of this doesn't change the fact that Transsiberian isn't quite as smart as it thinks it is, its unusual setting an attempt to throw the viewer off the scent. Located anywhere else, without the atmospheric backdrop or the foreign police officer, and this would be a lesser film, Hitchcock homage or not.

Worth checking out for a glimpse of that mythical journey I mentioned earlier, if the film inspires a few more budding Michael Palin's to take a trip to Moscow and beyond, that's no bad thing.

Review by Jonathan Melville

Transsiberian

pete — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:44:14 +0000

I read about this one in the New York Times today,

"On the other hand, making “Transsiberian” — a train thriller in the tradition of “Shanghai Express” and “North by Northwest,” but without the glamour — was a lark, except for shooting in the bitter Lithuanian winter. “There’s something exciting about being in that kind of genre film,” Ms. Mortimer said. “Running through the corridors, hanging off the end of the train — how wonderful. You really feel like you’re making a movie.”(NYT)

I love Emily Mortimer and Kate Mara

[caption id="attachment_236" align="alignnone" width="190" caption="Ms. Mortimer in the movie “Transsiberian.” "][/caption]

Transsiberian

Movie Trailers!

lifepod — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:48:03 +0000

Emily has a holiday from hell!

accidentalsexiness — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:27:56 +0000

Emily Mortimer visited with Conan last night and talked about her son and his early love for boobs, her Russian love affair and her holiday from hell in new movie with Woody Harrelson entitled, Transsiberian.

[redlasso id="bd079e28-4761-4365-b03a-850bb61f01b3"]

Transsiberian

Aaron — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:25:53 +0000

Released - July 18th

View the Trailer here!!!

An American couple, Roy (played by Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (played by Emily Mortimer), decide to take the long way home from their recent sojourn in Asia on the legendary Transsiberian Express train from Beijing to Moscow. On their way, they meet another couple from the West, Carlos (played by Eduardo Noriega) and Abby (played by Kate Mara), with whom they quickly form a familiar bond and friendship with that often unites fellow travelers away from home. When Roy accidentally gets separated from the group at a stopover, Jessie begins to realize that their compatriots aren’t exactly who or what they seem to be. The real danger begins to surface as a deceitful Russian detective (Sir Ben Kingsley) and locals terrorize Jessie in this unforgettably cold and blood spilling journey.

This film looks f'n awesome! (Am i allowed to swear? That's the first; and maybe the last, time I've ever swore here) This definitely looks like a great high octane action-adventure with mind twisting results. The trailer captures the high running emotions with knife cutting precision and the drugs deals going down with a nightmarish take on the reality of it all possibly being that of a true story. I look forward to seeing the end result. Nothing but good things to say about this one. Expect a review when its released!

- A

Cartel y Trailer de TRANSSIBERIAN

Pablo Gutiérrez — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:12:43 +0000

Brad Anderson, director de las perturbadoras Sesion 9 y El Maquinista, repite estilo en Transsiberian. En este thriller fronterizo una pareja viaja en tren (el famoso trans-siberiano al que alude el título) desde China a Moscú. En el trayecto conocerán a una agradable pareja de jóvenes que sin embago guardarán un terrible secreto que complicará mucho la vida a nuestro viajeros. En el filme, de coproducción española, participan Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega, Thomas Kretschmann y Ben Kingsley. La película se estrena en España el 10 de Octubre.

DESCARGA DIRECTA ALTA DEFINICIÓN 480
DESCARGA DIRECTA ALTA DEFINICIÓN 720
DESCARGA DIRECTA ALTA DEFINICIÓN 1080

"Transsiberian" Trailer & Poster

Correct Opinion — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:51:53 +0000

From the director of the good but still over-rated The Machinist comes this movie which nobody will go see cos they'll be too ashamed to admit that they can't pronounce the title.

Starring Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer as a couple travelling on the namesake train who make friends with vaguely offputting couple Kate Mara and Eduardo Noriega, not to mention Sir Ben Kingsley strangling a Ukrainian accent. Then things begin to go awry.

Appearantly this was quite popular at last year's Sundance, so it could be good. On the other hand, it could be good in the same way that The Machinist was "good," so who knows.

Summer Movies

reversiblepanda — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:17:48 +0000

REVERSIBLE PANDA'S

2008 Summer Movie Guide

(Some dates subject to change)

(Click titles to watch trailer or something related if no trailer is available)

May 2 (Last Friday)

Iron Man - I think you all know my opinion on this one. Awesome. In case you hadn't heard yet... Ironman 2 already has a release date. Same weekend 2010. Followed by Thor in June 2010, Captain America in May 2011, and the Avengers in July 2011. Thank you Marvel.

Made of Honor - I don't know what to say... Michelle Monaghan is one of the most talented and beautiful (indeed she is among my top 5) actresses working today... but Michelle... I sat through the Heartbreak Kid for you... and that's it... you get one... I'll see you again when you do something not derivative of everything.

Redbelt - Chiwetel Ejiofor is one of those actors I could watch read the phone book. Except he's not reading the phone book here, he's reciting dialogue written by David Mamet. Mamet is a master of words, this however is a movie about Judo. "The Edge," was a Mamet movie about man vs. nature and that turned out ok... but this one has Tim Allen... maybe I'll wait for dvd.
Son of Rambow - I won't queer myself any more than to say... this movie looks cute. I will totally rent it. Or go see it on a rainy day by myself if I'm feeling sad.

May 9 (Today)

Speed Racer - The first 3 minutes of this movie leaked out online. I watched it. My eyes bled. I no longer have any desire to see this film. Hey Wachowski brothers (er... brother and other)... let me break down your formula for you as it seems you haven't done yet...

Bound - Gina Gershon & Jennifer Tilly are lesbians. Success!

The Matrix - Kung-Fu, Gun ballets, crazy slow motion action pioneering (bullet-time). Success!

The next two Matrix movies - preachy, heavy handed symbolism, less kung-fu, more CGI. Disappointing Success.

V for Vendetta - Preachy. Heavy handed allegory. Hot girl forced to shave head. More disappointing success.

Speed Racer - No lesbians, no kung-fu, a monkey, and a lot more CGI.

You see where I'm going with this guys?
What Happens in Vegas - I shant go near the theater for fear that at the end of the movie Ashton will run out and say, "You paid to see this!! You got punk'd!!!"

The Babysitters - I love seeing John Leguizamo in dramatic roles... the guy has got chops and the subject matter (high school girls offer other 'services' to the married men they babysit for) sounds well worn, but I can't think of a movie that handled it like this. I'll give this one the indie hopeful award.
The Fall - The last movie Tarsem Singh directed was The Cell, probably one of Jennifer Lopez's only watchable movies. It really did have a few really interesting visuals (the vivisected horse anyone?). This wasn't even going to get a release until David Fincher and Spike Jonze saw it and decided to throw some money into releasing it. That's one hell of a vote of confidence.
The Tracey Fragments - I know nothing of this film other than it stars Ellen Page. It's probably only going to be released in NY... which doesn't bode well... and that Tracey spends part of the movie naked wearing only a curtain... which does bode well.

May 16 (Friday)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - The further adventures of Jesus lion. I'll just stay home and re-watch Lord of the Rings thanks.

May 22 (Thursday)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - This gets the award for movie I will probably see 3 times in the theater. If I could find a theater that ran a marathon of all the Indy movies the day before I would be there for that. I pray to God they don't shit all over the franchise. It's looking good so far. Fingers crossed. In lieu of a theater screening... I will be watching the first 3 movies at home the week leading up to the release.

May 23 (Friday)

The Children of Huang Shi - The what of who? The cast include Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Radha Mitchell, Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh... ok... I'm intrigued. But why haven't I heard of this til now?
War, Inc. - John Cusack... who I remember liking at some point in his career... has made some odd choices as of late. This time around he plays a hit man trying to kill some sort of oil baron in the middle east and wackiness ensues. Ok... so Gross Pointe Blank but in a desert. All right, I'll give it a shot. At least you're trying.

May 30 (Friday)

Sex and the City: The Movie - I can't think of anything short of the offer of oral sex by all the female attendees of Hugh Hefner's last birthday party. And seriously... if even one of them backs out, I'm not seein' the movie.
The Strangers - Let's take Funny Games cross it with the Orphanage, throw Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman in it and release it as the horror alternative for guys the same weekend as Sex in the City. It would have been brilliant... if not for the fact that this was supposed to come out last year... that usually doesn't inspire confidence.
The Foot Fist Way - Much in the same way that The Fall has been championed by people at the forefront of it's style. Foot Fist Way is being touted by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as the funniest damn thing they've ever seen. The trailer looks like it might provide a few laughs but I don't know about going near a cinema the same weekend that chick movie is coming out. The amount of estrogen in the air might be enough to turn Rambo into Bambi.

June 6 (Friday)

Kung Fu Panda - Um... it's about a panda. Who does Kung-Fu. Voiced by Jack Black. Other voices include Jackie Chan, and Ian Mc'fucking'Shane. Yeah... I'm going. What?
Mongol - This was nominated for an Academy Award for best Foreign Film. It's about the rise of Genghis Khan. It's epic, it's violent... It's subtitled... I'm a lazy American, I'll wait for DVD.
You Don't Mess with the Zohan - The concept sounds stupid. The concept for Sandler movies often does. This last trailer I saw... it actually looks like it won't be awful. I refused to even see Chuck & Larry, it looked so stupid and that had Jessica Biel. So, me saying this looks half decent is saying a lot. Maybe a double feature with Panda.

The Go-Getter - a Sundance fave about a boy (Lou Taylor Pucci, from the over-rated Thumbsucker) who steals a car from a woman (Zooey Deschanel, from my pleasant dreams) to drive South to tell his brother that their mother died. Oh, and he wears a cowboy hat. Sounds like a real pick-me-up, thanks Sundance.
The Promotion - I'm kind of shocked they're putting this one out the same weekend as Zohan, this one has the in my opinion, very under-rated Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly competing for a promotion. Throw in Jenna Fischer as Seann's wife. Make it a mix of dry humor, slapstick comedy, and drama... and this is where I will be this weekend.

June 13 (Friday "the 13th")

The Happening - I still haven't even seen The Village or Lady in the Water, I didn't like Signs, and Unbreakable actually isn't bad if you forget that Sixth Sense existed. This one, if the trailer is to be believed, looks like some sort of mental illness that strikes humanity and causes them to kill themselves. Probably wind up being a rapture parable. Might be ok... I'll wait to hear more.
The Incredible Hulk - I'd like to say that this looks leaps and bounds better than the Ang Lee Hulk. I'd like to say that. I won't... because I'm going to try and keep my expectations low so I can enjoy this one. The cast certainly has gravitas... Ed Norton, Tim Roth... I'll take the ride.

June 20 (Friday)

Get Smart - Brilliant property to bring back from television, brilliant vehicle for Steve Carell. I Spy didn't work... but it didn't have Anne Hathaway as female lead.
The Love Guru - I can't say that this is going to suck. I mean, I'm pretty sure it will, but I thought Austin Powers would suck. This just looks like the same jokes with a different accent. So will it work? Never underestimate the stupidity of audiences. Give them a few lines that they can quote incessantly (Austin Powers), remind them of other things they thought were cool (Meet the Spartans) and they will turn out in droves.
Religulous - Larry Charles, the guy that directed Borat, this time uses the infinitely less likable (in most peoples opinions) Bill Maher to skewer religion. I think it will be hilarious and frightening all at the same time. Probably more focused on actually exposing religious zealots and laughing at them than on hairy fat guy scrotums dangled in the leads face (a la' Borat)... but they'll be fine because Bill Maher's face already LOOKS like a scrotum. Zing!

June 27 (Friday)

Wall-E - Insiders are worried. Can a movie with a non-human, mute robot as a lead work? It's Pixar. I guarantee it will work. It will be amazing. You will laugh, you will cry... it will win best animated feature, people will say it should be in the best picture category.
Wanted - More bullet-time than The Matrix, Angelina Jolie hanging out of cars, Morgan Freeman, AND Mr. Tumnus! Based on a comic book where a guy finds out because of his bloodline he has it in him to be a master assassin! Directed by the Russian guy that directed Nightwatch! Breathe. Don't get your hopes up... this could be awesome. But if it isn't... wait 5 days because here comes Will Smiff.

July 2 (Wednesday)

Hancock - Hmm... a July 4 weekend movie. Nothing else opening at all except an art house film? I wonder why? Oh... because Will Smith is in it and this is HIS weekend. Step off bitches! I also have to admit... I really think this may be THE new property to beat this summer. It may not top established franchises or comic book movies, but... this looks really, really good. I'm excited about it. The original title of the screenplay was Tonight... He Comes, and I had heard stories about it circulating Hollywood for years as everyones favorite script that no one would ever produce. There was an article last week in the New York times where director, Peter Berg (who I admire), said this is a much darker film then people think. They've tried to keep tight to the original script but there were somethings they just had to cut or change (statutory rape, drinking with a 12 year old, and drunk driving/flying are all cited as examples) to keep the studio happy. I am already excited for a very dark director's cut on DVD.

July 3 (Thursday)

The Wackness - A heartwarming film about a teenage drug dealer and his drug using psychiatrist. I've actually heard a lot of good things about this one. I prefer to think of it as Ben Kingsley wanted to have a reason to make out with one of the Olsen twins so he somehow made this thing happen.

July 11 (Friday)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army - If you liked the first one (which I did) odds are you'll love this one. If you didn't care for the first one, odds are you'll like this one. That's my two cents. Frankly I don't think Del Toro can make a misstep on this one. He cares too much about it.
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D - If you see one Brendan Fraser movie this summer... wait til august and see the mummy. Seriously... the 3D gimmick isn't coming back til James Cameron's Avatar. Then we'll see what's what... but I don't need to see lava flows and rocks comin' at my head.
Meet Dave - Eddie Murphy needs new people. Seriously. Norbit? Pluto Nash? Now this? Who tells you these are good ideas? You clearly don't realize how detrimental they are to you... you need to excise this person from your life as badly as Amy Winehouse needs to be separated from her dealer.

July 18 (Friday)

The Dark Knight - I've seen the leaked photos of two face, I've seen the Joker-tampered trailer... I don't know that this is the type of thing that would've gotten Heath Ledger nominated were he not dead, but that's what people are saying. From the looks of the trailer, his take on the icon does look exciting and I along with the rest of the movie going public am chomping at the bit to see if he left this mortal coil on a good note. I will be there on opening weekend.
Mamma Mia! - Here I go again. My, my, how can I resist you? I'll tell you how... by not seeing you. Period.
Space Chimps - Andy Samberg as a chimp. Visionary. It's not Pixar and it shows. Expect farting in a space suit jokes and some off color banana references. Buy me the DVD when it comes out but be sure to include a bad of hydroponic weed and a time machine to return me to age 5 when you present the gift to me so I can enjoy it.

July 25 (Friday)

American Teen - A documentary about 4 high school seniors in the middle of East Bumblefuck, Indiana. From the looks of the trailer and from the hype coming out of festivals... it might actually be a good movie. A slice of life of American High School. Here's the problem, I went to an American high school, I in no way want to relive my high school experience so uncomfortably real. Breakfast Club, hell yeah. Real life... god no.
Step Brothers - Do you like Will Ferrell movies? See this one. Do you not like Will Ferrell movies? Skip it. It's that easy people. If you don't like him because he always winds up in his underwear and it's supposed to be funny, and you just don't get it... guess what? He'll probably end up in his underwear again, and you still won't think it's funny. I am among those that see the humor in it.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Chris Carter... I want to believe that people still give a shit about the x-files too. But listen... the show ended 6 years ago. Yeah, just 6... that doesn't seem that long ago to me either, but if I hadn't just told me that it was only 6 years ago, I would've thought it was 15. If the trailer turns out ok I'll think about it, but I'm not making any promises... it's a busy summer.

Baghead - Sundance buzz movie. But wait... don't skip ahead for your popcorn fix just yet. This movie is a horror film, well no, a comedy... but it's kind of a drama. Apparently it's everything rolled into one. It seems silly but it has a lot of buzz around it. Wait til you see the trailer and decide for yourself.

August 1 (Friday)

Chuck Palahniuk's Choke - I love me some Chuck Palahniuk. Sam Rockwell just sweetens the deal for me. The book is about a sex-addict who sues people who save his life when he pretends to choke on something in a restaurant. I have to assume the movie is about that as well. That character is squarely in what I would call Rockwell's wheelhouse... so yeah, I'll buy a ticket to see that.
Midnight Meat Train - One weekend two great writers... this one comes from Clive Barker. We've got Bradley Cooper in the lead as a photographer who stumbles upon a grotesque crime (as they are prone to do in films like this)... a crime committed by Vinnie Jones (awesome). The cast is rounded out by Leslie Bibb, Brooke Shields?, and the ever more horror film present Roger Bart.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - I liked the Mummy. I did. It was a good time. (The ride at the park in Orlando is pretty fantastic too) This one has Jet Li. It'll be a good time. A popcorn movie sure, but I bet you leave the theater smiling.
The Rocker - Rainn Wilson's first attempt at headlining a movie. I like him as Dwight on the Office... I don't know if I'm ready to watch him do what looks to be School of Rock the sequel.

Swing Vote - Could be interesting, it looks like they fast tracked it and rushed everything being that it is a movie about the presidential election and they wanted to capitalize on it's relevance. Kevin Costner has gone through so many weird phases in his career and this one looks like he's back to that Bull Durham charm. I never saw Wag the Dog, I really liked Bullworth, but neither of those did huge box office... political comedy is hard.

Transsiberian - This one may only get NY and LA release... setting it on a train and calling it a Hitchcockian mystery makes me think it might be ok. The fact that it stars Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, and Ben Kingsley, but is still only getting limited release makes me think it might fall a few rungs shy of Strangers on a Train. Emily Mortimer looks fantastic in the trailer and Kate Mara looks hot as hell. I'll give it a shot if I'm burned out on blockbusters.

August 8 (Friday)

Pineapple Express - I am actually very excited about this one. James Franco is starting to grow on me. Not because of Spiderman or anything, just his Acting with James Franco videos on Funny or Die. In the trailer for this one he's already getting kudos for being the "hot guy," who takes the offbeat "ugly guy" role. I just give him kudos for driving with one foot comically stuck through the windshield. I think this one may be the best of comedy of the summer, until next week when Tropic Thunder comes out.
Hell Ride - You can't count this one out. Sure it stars Joey Bishops son Larry. Sure it's got Dennis Hopper and Michael Madsen... neither of whom have carried a movie on their shoulders. But... you take that cast and say it's a throwback to biker cinema and you question theatrical release. Now if I tell you it's produced by Quentin Tarantino it all makes sense doesn't it... and you kinda want to see don't you? A biker revenge flick about a guy tracking down a gang called the 666'ers for killing his woman. Yeah. I'll bite.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 -Alexis Bledel is so hot I would CONSIDER watching this if I was home alone and flipping channels and I knew no one would ever find out about it and I wasn't wearing pants... and I was drunk.

August 15 (Friday)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - You know it's funny. George Lucas was thinking... now that I've taken a dump all over my beloved franchise... let me go ahead and squeeze out another couple of yachts from the lifeless corpse of my child. I've give you the animated version of what happened between episodes II and III... alternately known as the episode that I fell asleep in the theater and the episode that was almost ok.
Tropic Thunder - Every genre has been parodied. Shockingly, the war movie has gotten off fairly easy. Aside from winks and nods in things like Hot Shots: Part Deux, this is new terrain. Throw in Robert Downey Jr. playing a black man and this solidifies the summer of 2008 as the summer of Robert Downey Jr.

Henry Poole Is Here - Luke Wilson in his umpteenth attempt at being a leading man. I'm pulling for him. He's always had an understated non-acting style... like Duchovny. This one is about a guy who has given up on life until the face of Jesus appears on his stucco. Another Sundance darling it looks cute and has a soundtrack with everything from Bob Dylan to the Eels. Might be OK.

August 22 (Friday)

The Accidental Husband - Griffin Dunne has done some things that I've enjoyed... all of those things were as an actor with one notable exception (After Hours) as a producer. Dunne directs Uma Thurman in what I assume will be a romantic comedy. The plot that I've seen... "radio show host gets dumped and finds out she's married to a man she's never met..." makes me want to punch a baby.
Bangkok Dangerous - Two Chinese directors, the Pang brothers (One of whom's first name is Oxide) are re-making their own movie. This time in Engrish. Wif Nicorass Cage! That was offensive... sorry. In fact in the original, the assassin that Nic is playing was a mute. That wasn't gonna fly for Mr.Cage and English audiences, we need our anti-heroes to spew out one-liners. My point is why see what's sure to be an inferior remake where it will be obvious that some aspects of the story are lost in translation when you can watch the original with the added bonus of it not starring Nicolas Cage? On the hand, lets cross our fingers that it's a return to the Nicolas Cage I used to enjoy.
House Bunny - Anna Faris as a playboy bunny. I don't think I have to say any more than that for you to know that I am seeing this movie. And as bonus... it's a chick flick so I get points with the girlfriend for wanting to see it.
Towelhead (formerly Nothing is Private)- A film about a 13 year old Arab-American girl stuggling with her sexuality. Directed by Alan Ball, the guy who wrote American Beauty (which I still don't give him full credit for since the original draft was a courtroom drama). The film partly concerns a middle aged guy (Aaron Eckhart), who develops a crush on the 13 year old Arab girl. If there is a shot of her naked with rose petals falling on her I'm calling shenanigans. If Alan Ball wasn't gay I would think he has some kind of obsession with teenage girls. Of course this played Sundance and of course with this topic it was a critical darling. Will anyone other than film and cultural studies students care to see it? We'll see.
Wild Child - I know nothing about this film other than it stars Emma Roberts. Ipso facto I probably won't know anything about this movie even after it has come and gone from the theater. I tried to watch the trailer but 5 seconds in my brain told my hand to poke myself in the eyes as a means of self-preservation.

Hamlet 2 - This one sold for the highest price at Sundance but isn't your typical festival fare. It was co-written by one of South Park's head writers, it's got Steve Coogan, Amy Poehler, Catherine Keener and features a song called, "Rock Me Sexy Jesus." This will probably be my favorite indie of the summer.

August 29 (Friday)

Babylon A.D. - I really don't want to tell you I'm looking forward to a Vin Diesel movie... but... the poster looks like Blade Runner and the trailer doesn't give away much except it seems to take place in an American dystopia and there will be explosions and kicking in the face.
College - It's Porky's, Old School, Accepted, Revenge of the Nerds, Road Trip, SuperBad, Animal House, uh... ok... any movie starring teenagers where girls take their tops off, kids get drunk, there's a party, and some kids probably learn there is more to life than just topless girls, drinking and partying. That about sums that up. Oh... and one of the stars is that kid from last season's American Idol, Kevin Covais... remember the little mousy kid with the glasses who looked like he was 12... well now he's in a movie. What have you done with your life?
Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Woody Allen's next film with his latest muse Scarlett Johansson. As usual he's assembled a ridiculously talented cast (Scarlett, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz among them), and he's being "daring" by not shooting in his beloved NY and setting this one in Barcelona. I used to like Woody. Maybe I will again.

Well... that's it kids... that's your summer... enjoy it... ignore the beautiful weather and go sit in a movie house. People still call them that right? I'll start readying the Fall Movie Movie Guide soon... starring:

Burn After Reading, Blindness, Death Race 3000, Max Payne, Quarantine, Saw V, Quantum of Solace and many, many more.

If this was your first time here, be sure to bookmark the page. Reversible Panda updates every M-F with tons of stuff to help you through the daily suck.

Transsiberian- Efectuará su llegada en Octubre

Swanson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:48:19 +0000

Conducido por Brad Anderson (en la foto), director de “El maquinista”, este film, un thriller que se desarrolla en un viaje a bordo del mítico Transiberiano (red ferroviaria inaugurada en 1904, que conecta la Rusia europea con las provincias del lejano Oriente ruso, Mongolia y China), llegará a nuestras pantallas el próximo otoño.

Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Eduardo Noriega, Kate Mara, y Ben Kingsley, la protagonizan.

El punto de partida de la historia nos presenta a la pareja compuesta por Roy (Harrelson), y Jessie (Emily Mortimer), que después de una temporada en Pekín, deciden efectuar un viaje hasta Moscú.

Ya dentro del tren, observan que la gente que viaja en el es bastante extraña. Un viajante les explica que los traficantes suelen utilizarlo para pasar droga.

La pareja entabla relación con sus compañeros de compartimento, Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) y Abby (Kate Mara), que se dedican a viajar por el mundo dando clases de inglés y comprando objetos típicos de un país para revenderlos después en otro (como las muñecas rusas matryoshka, que dicen vender en Ámsterdam a buen precio).

En su camino se cruza también el inspector Grinko, (Ben Kingsley), que viaja desde Vladivostok siguiendo los pasos de los asesinos de un narcotraficante y de un importante alijo.

Lo que parecía que iba a ser un placentero viaje, se torna en pesadilla cuando después de una de las paradas, Roy no vuelve a subir al tren.

Carlos y Abby tranquilizan a Jessie, y se ofrecen a acompañarla mientras le espera en la próxima estación.

Ella entonces se dará cuenta de que sus compañeros de viaje no son quienes aparentan ser, y que ocultan algo…

El argumento parece prometedor, pero habrá que esperar a ver la película.

De momento nos conformaremos con el trailer.

Cartel

Ver ficha

Swanson

TRANSSIBERIAN

andystardust — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:34:17 +0000

La película Transsiberian, dirigida por Brad Anderson, se estrenará en EEUU el próximo verano de la mano de la compañía norteamericana, First Look Studios.

La venta se llevó a cabo en el pasado Mercado Europeo de Cine de Berlín (Berlin EFM). Por parte de First Look Studios, su vicepresidente, Gary Hirsch, afirmó sentirse "ilusionado por estrenar en Estados Unidos una película de la calidad de Transsiberian". Sobre la película añadió que "es un thriller espectacular, cuenta con un reparto de lujo y recrea de modo fiel uno de los trenes más legendarios y exóticos de la historia".

Por su parte, Julio Fernández, Presidente de Filmax, afirmó: "estamos felices de trabajar de nuevo con First Look Studios en Estados Unidos y estrechar así nuestros lazos con esta gran compañía. Creemos firmemente que Transsiberian está en buenas manos".
Transsiberian es la última película dirigida por Brad Anderson (El Maquinista, Session 9) y está protagonizada por Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Sir Ben Kingsley, Eduardo Noriega y Kate Mara.

El filme, que participó en los recientes Festivales Internacionales de Sundance y Berlín, narra la historia de una pareja americana (interpretada por Woody Harrelson y Emily Mortimer) que tras su reciente estancia en Pekín decide hacer el viaje de vuelta a casa en el famoso Transiberiano. Lo que tenía que haber sido un viaje placentero se convertirá en la peor pesadilla de sus vidas.

Transsiberian ha sido producida por Julio Fernández para Filmax en coproducción con Universum Films y Telecinco Cinema.

Se estrenará en España el próximo 4 de abril.

::Mentes Inquietas::

Na telona

Lady Lucy Angkatell — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:47:23 +0000

A colunista Monika Bartyzel aguarda o lançamento do filme Transsiberian e teme que seja uma versão piorada do clássico Assassinato no Expresso do Oriente, baseado no livro de Agatha Christie.

You hear about a murder mystery -- one that involves traveling couples on a train, whose trip becomes a murderous adventure with a foreign man hot on their trails -- there's one thing that should come to mind. (Cinematical)

Já o site Hollywood Reporter compara o mesmo filme aos clássicos de Alfred Hitchcock.

Jet travel being almost ubiquitous today, the thriller-mystery set aboard a train has almost disappeared from movie subgenres. Brad Anderson brings it back to robust life in "Transsiberian," a vigorous, fast-paced tale that entwines plot with character and psychology set against an incredibly exotic backdrop. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Às vésperas da entrega do 80º Oscar, em 24 de fevereiro último, Myles Strasser escreve em sua coluna sobre como os filmes de mistério, os "whodunit", são desprezados pela Academia de Cinema de Hollywood.

In my diligent academic research for the yearly Academy Awards column, it struck me upside the head that one genre has been grossly unrepresented in the Best Picture category. I'm talking about the whodunit. If you check the New York Times best seller fiction list, there are always three or four mysteries on it. [...] Yes, films have been made of their work, and some good ones, notably Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" and Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon." (The North Western)

O ator Simon MacCorkindale relembra seu papel no filme Morte no Nilo (Death in the Nile, 1978) aos 25 anos de idade.

On the Christie film, he recalls: "You can imagine as a 25-year-old actor doing my first feature film. To go to work on the first day and be driving around the English countryside with Mia Farrow, in the car beside me, it was an extraordinary experience.
"Then six weeks later and to meet up with Bette Davis, David Niven, Peter Ustinov, Angela Lansbury and George Kennedy, and to get to know them and become friends with them." (Daliy Post)