Trans-Siberian (2008)

Directed by: Brad Anderson | 111 minutes | drama, thriller, crime | Actors: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega, Thomas Kretschmann, Etienne Chicot, Mac McDonald, Colin Stinton, Perlis Vaisieta, Mindaugas Papinigis, Mindaugas Capas, Visockaite Sonata, Larisa Kalpokaite, Valentinas Krulikovskis, Visiunevicdmantas, Antanas Surgailis, Kristina Kulinic, Jin Zhou, Emilis Welyvis

Ah yes, the train. The ancient steam locomotive used to be the way to get to your destination. Over the years, the traditional tuff has had to make way for the car and the plane. The train is no longer nearly as prominent in cinema as it was in the golden years of Hollywood. Only in historical films, especially about the Second World War, do they still appear here and there, often in an ominous setting. The magical effect that the train had in the work of, for example, Alfred Hitchcock – with ‘The Lady Vanishes’, 1938 and ‘Strangers on a Train’, 1951 as the most striking examples – is rarely seen in contemporary cinema. . Brad Anderson, director of ‘The Machinist’ (2005), in his thriller ‘Transsiberian’ (2008) harks back to the times of yesteryear: threatening, sinister atmospheres on an ever-rushing train.

Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) spent several months volunteering in China before starting their return trip to the US. To end their trip to Asia in style, they take the Trans-Siberian Express, the legendary eight-day train journey that will take them across the immense and icy Russia to Moscow. Their (Russian) fellow passengers are anything but friendly and the staff don’t really welcome them on board either. That should not spoil the fun, especially for the naive train madman Roy. Before long, he and Jessie are joined by a western couple who come to share their compartment. They are Spaniard Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) – who knows a lot about false passports and bypassing customs – and his much younger American girlfriend Abby (Kate Mara). Although Carlos in particular is immediately very amicable, the two remain very secretive and elusive. During a stopover in Irkutsk, the foursome gets out to get some fresh air, but when the train leaves again, Roy appears without a trace.

Jessie panics and at the next station decides to get off to wait for him. Carlos and Abby are loyal and stay with her. And that’s where the real problems begin… Carlos turns out to be a charlatan who wants to make Jessie pay for his crimes. When she manages to break free from his clutches, she gets into a fight with corrupt Russian narcotics detective Ilya Grinko (Ben Kingsley) and his terrifying and life-threatening sidekick Kolzak (Thomas Kretschmann).

Just imagine: you’re aboard a speeding train full of hostile, unfriendly Russians with whom you cannot communicate or trust. Moreover, you carry a huge burden on your shoulders, but in the claustrophobic, grim environment of a train you can’t go anywhere. That’s pretty much how Jessie feels in the speeding Trans-Siberian Express. She is a young woman who has struggled with problems and addictions in the past, but has been able to cope thanks to her lover and faith. However, her past always remains a heavy burden that she has to carry with her. British actress Emily Mortimer portrays this complex character in a convincing and intense way. It is therefore with her that you actually sympathize. The other characters are quite one-dimensional. Harrelson is the sympathetic but very naive Roy, a sort of boy scout on a world trip. Noriega is extremely seductive as the ‘wrong man’. You know from the start that he cannot be trusted, yet you let yourself be carried away by his charms. Mara is mysterious and Kingsley (with excellent Russian accent!) adds yet another exotic character to his impressive track record.

The acting of this fine cast is pleasant, but the emphasis in ‘Transsiberian’ is mainly on the tension. Brad Anderson, a skilled director, knows how to carefully increase the underlying unrest. He starts off calmly, introducing the characters, but soon this film gains momentum that takes you along and from which you can’t get rid of. The pace is good and you are never bored. Who cares that some events are not equally believable; you don’t get any time from Anderson to dwell on that for too long. ‘Transsiberian’ – wonderfully chilly and oppressively shot by cinematographer Xavi Gimenez – is not only about a rumbling train, but it is also one itself. Old-fashioned exciting and intense, just sit back and hold on tight!