Movie Review: Derailed

Derailed

I like Jennifer Aniston fine, but I really like Clive Owen. Besides, Derailed was marketed as a psychological thriller, and I do love a good thriller! There wasn't much question I'd be handing my money over for a ticket to this one...

Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is a Chicago ad executive. He has a house in the suburbs he shares with his schoolteacher wife, Deanna (Melissa George) and his daughter Amy (Addison Timkin). He's also bored. Enter Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston), a financial advisor Charles meets on a commuter train. Lucinda isn't entirely happy with her marriage, either. What begins as the chit chat of strangers deepens to the point where each seems to feel the other understands, and then goes still further until the two are at the brink of an affair.

Charles and Lucinda are nervous, but a few drinks seems to wipe away many of their second thoughts and the two end up in a seedy hotel room. But just as they appear ready to throw all caution to the wind, career criminal Philippe Laroche (Vincent Cassel) breaks into their room and takes their money at gunpoint. His assault leaves the pair shattered and confused as to what they ought to do next. The one thing the two do agree on is that they can't report the incident to the police without their spouses learning of their near-infidelity.

Thinking that the horrifying matter is at least closed, Charles is soon appalled to discover that he's being blackmailed by his attacker. Without the cash he's demanding, Laroche threatens to tell Charles' wife everything. In desperation, Charles talks to a co-worker, Winston Boyko (RZA). Winston happens to be not only a friend but an ex-con, and Charles is hoping he can shed some light on Laroche's mindset. Since he can't call the police, Charles is left with little choice but to take matters into his own hands.

Jennifer Aniston is, as we all know, a formidable comedic talent. In The Good Girl, however, she proved her dramatic chops, which, in turn, stood her in good stead in Derailed. Clive Owen is also very good. But I personally thought that Vincent Cassel outperformed them both. His malevolent turn as Laroche is creepy at best, and downright terrifying when he wants it to be.

The direction and editing are fine, and the script is well crafted. But the real standout in Derailed is the plot. We knew on the way in the door that, as a psychological thriller, there'd be a twist. What we didn't know is just how many twists and turns we'd see taken before the story ran its full course! That unpredictability over the long term added greatly to the movie's overall effect. I enjoyed the movie not just because it was reasonably well crafted but because it was consistently surprising. And if there's a better definition of "thriller," I'm not sure what it might be.

POLITICAL NOTES: The cops who are peripherally involved in Derailed have a little too much in common with too many real-life law enforcement agencies these days. For example, a search is conducted of a hotel facility without a warrant; cooperation is sullen, but without a fight. Unfortunately, this is yet another fictional instance where we know the cops need to look, and we know they'll find something that will prove helpful, and so we tend to want them to just go ahead and search. The more we're indoctrinated into the "necessity" of such searches by TV and movies, the more we'll be inclined to cut police some Fourth Amendment slack in the real world. In the end, that will prove bad news for the guilty, but even worse news for the innocent.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Derailed is rated R for "strong disturbing violence, language, and some sexuality." The rating is unquestionably warranted. I personally wouldn't recommend this movie for children under the age of 16. In fact, there are going to be some adults who will find themselves cringing during some scenes if they're the sensitive type. For everyone else who appreciates a good thriller, however, you could do a whole lot worse than Derailed!