Derailed

I'm surprised to see some low ratings for this movie because I found it to be really good. I didn't find a boring moment thru out the whole movie and the ending was so twisted... it just brought everything together. I wasn't sure of what the movie was about so I was definitely caught off guard with the whole plot. It sort of starts out like a love story, then next thing you know the guns come flying. Its different from any other movie I've seen with realistic outcomes and life situations. At times I wasn't sure if I was on the good guy's or bad guy's side because in a way, the main character deserved some of what he got. And I also understood why the bad guys chose their targets without remorse. If I wasn't given a background of the main character, I don't think i would've felt bad for him. Anyway, its a good movie and I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

Clive Owen convincingly portrays an everyman who lives a life where every day is the same - until he unexpectedly meets a woman on a train and his life starts going off in new directions. When that turns bad, his old habits reassert himself: instead of forming a plan with built-in alternatives, or being a brilliant improviser (like so many other thriller heroes), he forms simple plans and is always at a loss when they fail. Other people feel that there are plot holes in this movie, but I feel that it just shows an everyman who is a slow starter, not the dynamic super-hero so many other protagonists turn into at the first sign of trouble. Recommended.

This movie was incredibly predictable, and required way too much suspension of disbelief: "Hey, honey, I'm going to teach at a prison so I can murder the guy who ruined my life after I had an affair with his girlfriend..." Sure, an American suburban housewife is gonna get behind that and stand by her man. And the holes in the "detective work" are inexplicable. The dialogue was predictable, the acting so-so: Clive Owen had some good moments in spite of the totally unbelievable dialogue, and RZA was rather good. He probably had the best lines, by the way. Vincent Cassel chews the scenery in a lovely baddie role. Jennifer Anniston is the real mystery here. I disagree with other reviewers who say she really broke out in this role: she tried to go for an enigmatic look, but she usually just looks blank. Which may be realistic in a confidence game, but has to be a lot more lush to be enjoyable to watch (see "House of Games" for better "blank").

I was a bit hesitant about seeing the film because of the low ratings. BUT despite false "endings" this is a film worth seeing. The three leads are good, although Clive Owen's character is three dimensional in a way that Vince Cassell's and Jennifer Aniston's aren't. There is definitely a chemistry between Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston, which goes a long way to making the premise of the film "work" and also makes the twists so sudden, so plausible, so believable, so odd! It's an atmospheric film aided by good music and interesting "minor" characters. See this film, willing to suspend disbelief. It's not a great film, often a little implausible. But the genre it creates calls for one to "go for a ride" too. It is a film that, with twists and turns, will keep you "derailed". It's a good thriller, and ends on a positive note. Don't be put off seeing it.