Ever since director Christopher Nolan hit the mainstream with tremendous success of The Dark Knight, becoming the household name that he rightfully deserves to be, I have been forced to look for a new upcoming director to rave about to the blissfully ignorant in order to feed my obnoxious cinematic ego. Just as the credits began to roll in the neo-noir thriller Transsiberian, and Brad Anderson’s name discretely crept up the screen, I realised that my search was already over. Anderson is, or at least is on his way to becoming, the next Nolan. If 2004′s The Machinist was Anderson’s Memento, then Transsiberian is his answer to Nolan’s Insomnia. Sure, both of Nolan’s films are superior to Anderson’s counterparts, but it’s undeniable that the two directors share a similar aptitude towards, and appreciation of, the thriller genre. Which is a sizeable compliment, Mr. Anderson, if there ever was one.
After completing a charitable mission in Beijing, American travelers Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) decide to try and mend their troubled relationship by taking a scenic journey along the Trans-Siberian railway to Moscow, Russia. Sharing their sleeper, the couple befriend Abby (Kate Mara), an impassive American girl, and her charismatic Spanish boyfriend Carlos (Eduardo Noriega). But when hard-boiled Russian narcotics detective Grinko (Ben Kingsley) starts probing for questions about the contents of the Spaniards luggage, it unwillingly sends Roy and Jessie down an icy slope of deception and transgression.
Emily Mortimer carries a lot of worrisome baggage as American traveler Jessie.
The first half of Transsiberian is quite possibly the most foreboding piece of cinema I’ve experienced since the Coen brothers blessed us with No Country for Old Men. This is a remarkable feat considering this time solely spent introducing the protagonists to the audience, allowing for the development of profound characterisations by gradually revealing their individual pasts and the effect it has had on their current disposition. We learn about how Roy’s naiveté and sheltered upbringing owes to his eagerness to have kids and settle down, contrasting with the reckless and immoral adolescence of his wife, Jessie, whom despite getting her life on track isn’t sure she’s ready for the responsibility of being a mother. It’s this level of sincerity and depth present in the script, crafting characters into genuinely likable and relatable people, which makes it damn near impossible to not be apprehensive about their inevitable pitfall. Where this level of predictability might plague some thrillers, Anderson rightfully capitalizes on such glaring presentiment, often teasing the audience into believing it’s finally about to fall to pieces, but prolonging the downward spiral for just that gut-wrenching bit longer. Perhaps the film’s most rewarding aspect is that, against all odds, it still manages to be a genuine surprise when things do finally take a sharp turn for the worst.
Anderson, like Nolan before him, explores the varying behaviours of ordinary people when placed under pressure. Whilst the situations themselves may be unlikely, especially in the films rather naff conclusion, the fact that the characters are so fleshed-out makes it seem plausible in context. There is nothing more terrifying than a film that often gets it’s audience to question how they would react in the given situation. Just as in Insomnia and Memento, the line between good and bad is blurred in Transsiberian. As detective Grinko proclaims; “Fear can drive one to irrational acts.” The nature of each individual is predominantly determined by their reactions to difficult situations and not through archetypal black and white characterisations, adding a level of complexity to the film’s fundamental question; “who are the bad guys?”
“You can always go forward with a lie, but you can never go back.”
Without a strong cast, Anderson would not have been able to achieve anything outlined above. Thankfully then, Transsiberian boasts brilliant performances by Emily Mortimer (51st state, The Pink Panther remake) and Oscar winning actor Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List). Mortimer brings a well developed sincerity to Jessie, often hinting towards her reckless past in the slightest of actions but remaining true to her newfound direction in life of sobriety and order. Kingsley continues to prove he can nail any cultural role as the brooding Russian detective Grinko, a man who’s wears the hardship of Russia’s emergence from the collapse of the Soviet Union on his sleeve. Whilst the remainder of the cast provide convincing performances, Woody Harrelson’s blasé delivery of dialogue as Roy doesn’t do his character justice once things start getting serious. Perhaps the most notable performance comes from the cold Eastern European backdrop that cinematographer Xavi Giménez personifies so vividly. Aided by hauntingly stripped piano arrangements, Giménez uses the icy, foreign landscape to further alienate Roy and Jesse and imprisons them within their carriage, giving them little choice but to but move forward through the adversity that unfolds.
Conclusion:
Despite not knowing how to satisfyingly end his neo-noir thriller, Brad Anderson has crafted a film with an unprecedented level of suspense that would have made Hitchcock envious. Transsiberian’s script is engrossing, characterisations are convincing and Anderson’s nail biting execution is complimentary, not imitative, of the films that launched Christopher Nolan’s stellar career.
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