Haplo-4 This Movie feels like one of those Classic thriller Movies of the 90s. In a positive sense that is. It's a not so complicated approach to a thriller, the stakes are fairly easy to get in to and, in general, the Movie doesn't spend too much time on potentially unnecessary details - i.e. not bloating.However, and this is in regards to some of the other Reviews for instance the Roger Ebert one, this is not a thriller from hell nor does it provide a hellish suspense. At times, although the positives above, the movie can feel a bit slow on the negative side. There are some characters that are too stereotyped, although well played. This include Kate Maras character Abby but also that of henchman Kolzak, played by Thomas Kretschmann. And the late transformation of Emily Mortimer's character, from liar to truthsayer is somewhat of a miss.Overall it is a movie worth giving a look. The locations are interesting and apart from the above mentioned it is well played and will provide enough suspense for a cosy evening with your favourite company. I have not been frightened enough to abandon the idea of going on the train myself.

jtindahouse I recently saw 'Session 9' and was so impressed with it I decided to check out some of writer/director Brad Anderson's other work, starting with 'Transsiberian'. The synopsis sounded interesting enough and it had an impressive cast, so i thought it would be a good place to start. Sadly, it wasn't up to the same standard as 'Session 9'. It wasn't a horror movie obviously, so some change was to be expected, but the problem was it lacked all the same brilliance in the mystery department that that film managed to achieve. There was enough going on here, yet it all felt very bland and run-of-the-mill. It felt like something we have seen 100 times before, whereas 'Session 9' felt completely unique, fresh and exhilarating.The characters were very bland (intentionally, I suspect) which made things realistic, but boring at the same time. So then it falls on the story to carry the load. Unfortunately, the story was very predictable and bland itself at times. I kept hoping all wasn't as it seemed, and that we were going to be hit with a twist out of left field that we never saw coming. It was not to be though and everything that I suspected was coming, eventually came - it just took a while to get there.It wasn't all bad though. The acting, as you'd anticipate with such a strong cast, was excellent from all concerned. It's also a beautifully shot film. A lot of the scenery is quite beautiful and never lets you forget the harsh environment this film is set in. Anderson seems to have a real talent for having great cinematography and settings in his films. At the end of the day though these factors aren't enough to keep this from being anything more than just you average and rather forgettable thriller.

David Arnold I'd actually never heard of Transsiberian until a couple of weeks ago, where I was looking through a movie list and the name & description for the film popped up. So, I gave the description a read, watched the trailer, and decided to give it a go. I'm glad I decided to give it that shot because Transsiberian is a very decent, gritty thriller with a good amount of tension & suspense.At first, I was a bit skeptical about how I'd manage to enjoy a film where the majority of the scenes (I thought) were on a train, but I needn't have worried because these only took up about half of the movie, and they were broken up pretty well with other story elements. Plus as the story evolved, these scenes brought their own amount of suspense adding to the mix nicely.The sheer desolation of Siberian Russia adds to the mood of the film as well. Just the look and the whole feel of being in such a vast, remote place is enough to make you think about how it would feel to not only travel through an area so large, but how you would feel if you were ever stuck there. Things like that, for me at least, assist to the feel of the film, which in turn adds to the overall enjoyment.Other elements such as the script, the direction, and the cast are well done for the most part, molded together decently enough to bring about a very enjoyable thriller. I say for the most part because some of the dialogue was a bit, well, lacking in quality, with lines such as the slightly cringeworthy "You can't do this! We're American!". There's only a couple of moments of dialogue like this, though, and they don't do enough to ruin what is otherwise a well written script.The main cast done a really good job overall, but Ben Kingsley was by far & away the best in his role as Grinko, a scrupulous, yet dirty, Russian detective hellbent on getting to the bottom of his case.Transsiberian is a very good film that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys their thrillers that are filled with action & suspense.

punishmentpark An international cast and a beautiful and stylish first hour... we're off to more than a good start. Unfortunately things are quite predictable at times and the eventual conclusion, when the train is brought to the desolate area, made me wonder if Carlos' steps hadn't been easier to trace, and much earlier on as well? Or was it necessary to get that torture scene in there? Also, the use of semi-profound one-liners was working counterproductive. Again, a bit of a disappointment by Brad 'The Machinist' Anderson, even if that first hour is very much okay. An extra kudos to Emily Mortimer; well played and wonderful charisma.6 out of 10.