TranSiberian

[Worf101]

An interesting quirky little film starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley. Found it recommended in a NetFlix cue and too a chance. Superior acting, believable characters. Whodda thunk you could have a Woody Harrelson flick and he's the sane one? Not exactly a film to make the Russian Tourist Board happy but what the hey. Just when you think it's over though... let me warn ya, it ain't. Just where the movie would normally end it finds it's second wind and goes into Overdrive. Best when combined in a twin bill with Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises" another fine film I just saw for the first time.

Da Worfster

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks Worfster. I'm a Woody Harrelson fan. I love the transgression he's made from his goody two-shoes character on Cheers to playing characters like Larry Flint and the lead in Natural Born Killers. Palmetto was anther great film for him IMO.

I went to see Seven Pounds partly because he was in it and was disappointed by how small his part was. I'll add TranSiberian to my list of movies to see.

[3-LockBox]

was disappointed by how small his part was.

[ForeverAutumn]

You know that it was man who coined the phrase, "good things come in small packages", right?

[Kam]

worfster and i must have the same netflix queue section!
saw transiberian recently as well and loved it! does kind of move slow, and has that irritating character of emily at first, where you just want to slap her and say "c'mon now! people don't do that!" or, (and if you've seen it you'll know) "Holy crap that's just a LITTLE overreacting don't you think!?" but.... then it all comes together and makes sense at the end and you go.. "ok, so fine i was a douchebag for saying that about you earlier, and why am i talking to the tv set right now"

[Troy]

Yes, a highly recommended little movie that seems to have slipped under everyone's radar.

[nightflier]

Almost picked it up with the B&N buy 2 get one free deal (had a coupon and membership discount as well), but decided against it on account of the warning on the back citing "gruesome violence and torture scenes" (went with Mongol / History of Violence and Michael Clayton instead - all under $20). But now I'm thinking I should have gotten it after all. Anyhow, is the violence really gruesome?

[GMichael]

You know that it was man who coined the phrase, "good things come in small packages", right?

[Kam]

Almost picked it up with the B&N buy 2 get one free deal (had a coupon and membership discount as well), but decided against it on account of the warning on the back citing "gruesome violence and torture scenes" (went with Mongol / History of Violence and Michael Clayton instead - all under $20). But now I'm thinking I should have gotten it after all. Anyhow, is the violence really gruesome?

if i remember correctly the most gruesome scene is witnessing the aftermath of the violence that occurred off screen and then... well, i don't want to spoil the rest. but basically, i thought, most of the violence the filmmakers let you decide in your mind how it happenned, they show you A and D, and you are left to figure out what happenned at B and C.

[nightflier]

Kam, I'm still confused. Is the violence on the screen gory?

[Kam]

Kam, I'm still confused. Is the violence on the screen gory?

(Hopefully this isn't a spoiler!)
I didn't think so... at least in terms of what you see. Basically a character is tortured, but you never see the actual torture occurring, you just see the beat up and battered body after the fact. That part is pretty chilling, but i didn't think it was too gory.

[nightflier]

Kind of like Syriana, I suppose. All right then, I'll add this one to the list.

[nightflier]

Saw it right after watching Eastern Promises (Worf's recommendation), and I have to say, it's a lot more angst-inducing, so if watched together, they definitely need to be seen in that order.

The torture was a bit hard to watch - especially since Roy and Jessie were asked to take off their shoes & socks and that eerie story told by that passenger at the beginning of the train ride. Of course, Grinko already knew most of the story, so all he needed was to fill the holes and further cruelty was going to take too long. Seeing how Jessie squealed when they dug the knife into Abbie's wounds, he knew that putting a cap in her hubbie's knee would be all that was needed to get her to spill the whole story.

A few things were a bit over the top, though: the fact that Grinko and Kolzak left them alone was not only careless (kind of like the way that Jessie acted beyond stupid with Carlos - are you kidding me?) but also in that this was completely unrealistic. There was absolutely no reason for Grinko to leave them, especially since he too was pressed for time. The whole 1984-Richard-Burton styled philosopher-tormentor role for Kingsley wasn't believable to me. He came off more as a bitter brute too deep in the drug-Дерьмо to really be that meticulous and erudite.

Also, if this was a high-traffic railway, then surely they would not leave the train stopped in the middle of the woods & snow. Don't want to give away too much either, but there were several other anachronisms and inconsistencies that didn't work. But over all it was a pretty taught thriller and the final scene, although I figured as much when Abbie begged to know where Carlos was even then, made for a nice ending.