Good concept, poorly executed.

good back-story, and good acting

Best movie ever!

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

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.

The first act, the two couples (Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer, and Kate Mara and Eduardo Noriega) meeting aboard the Transsiberian Railway, travelling from China to Moscow, and socialising with each other, and with other passengers, is well done. Harrelson and especially Mortimer become suspicious of their new travelling companions.A beautiful, crumbling cathedral, secluded in the snow covered wilderness is the site of a particularly brutal moment, a turning point in the plot. The focus of the plot shifts to back to Emily Mortimer, and her actions, and fear of any consequences it may bring. It begins the second act, which is the best part of this film, as it shows the growing tension and fear of her horrific actions being found out. Ben Kingsley (exceptional, as always) turns up, as a cop with suspicions of his own, and possibly his own ulterior motives. This entire second act is nearly unwatchably tense. Sadly though, the plot derails (pun completely intended) in the final act, with a couple of confusing, highly unlikely twists involving the Russian mob and drug smuggling cluttering up the mix.It never regains the focus it had, and offers an inconclusive ending. I wish the plot would have stayed focused on her fear and paranoia of her crime being found out by Kingsley, even though it was justified.Still highly recommended, for top notch acting, and cinematography, capturing both the bleakness and desolation and isolation of Lithuania (standing in for Russia) and the tight, crowded confines of the train itself.

I love movies set on trains. And I loove movies set in the snow. Imagine my excitement when I heard there'd be a movie set on the longest train ride in the world, in one of the largest snowy region in the world. And it didn't disappoint. Transsiberian could have easily descended into action thriller clichés and been a letdown, but every character is well written, the story has bite and depth to it, and although it's a nasty, cold hearted affair, it's not without its sympathies. Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer play a vacationing American couple on the transsiberian railway. Harrelson is a naive city bumpkin and plays the role well.. Mortimer is phenomenal, at first seeming like a terrified waif, until we learn bit by bit that she has a few sinister secrets, and is taking a dangerous risk and hiding things from her husband. They meet another couple, played by Kate Mara and Eduardo Noriega, and strike a tenuous, suspenseful bond that leads to violent confrontations and secrets being spilled like blood flying into the snow. Kate Mara is brilliant,striking the perfect balance between edgy and unassuming as an outsider girl who is looking for a way out. Ben Kingsley and Thomas Kretschmann show up as shady Russian narcotics agents, trawling the trains compartments in search of drug smugglers. Kingsley steals the movie with the monstrous characters he creates. This is a ruthless, nasty cop that you just don't want to get in the path of. The film is shot in gorgeous, sweeping white and grey brush strokes, visualizing a desolation and quiet sense of impending danger personified by the vast, cold mountainous landscape. It may not be a perfect film and it falters occasionally, but it's an immensely entertaining genre effort brought to life by its committed actors, it's frank, uncompromising narrative and gorgeous locations that are ever changing as the train meanders through the frozen dreamland of snow, wind and looming, beautiful mountains.

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.