User reviews

Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston are two adulterer-wannabes who are "Derailed" from their plans in this 2005 film. It also stars Vincent Cassel, RZA, Tom Conti and Melissa George. Charles Schine (Owen) and Lucinda Harris (Aniston) meet on a commuter train; on the night they take a hotel room to begin their affair, it's broken into by a criminal, LaRoche, who steals from both of them, rapes Lucinda repeatedly, and then continues to blackmail Charles for large sums of money. Lucinda refuses to go to the police, saying that her husband will file for divorce and take her daughter away from her.

Normally I take a film for what it is, and even if it has holes, if I really like it, I'll accept those holes. "Derailed" doesn't have holes. It has gullies. The character of Charles is completely unlikable throughout the film and a constant source of frustration. His diabetic daughter has had two or three kidney transplants, all of which were rejected by her body. For seven years, he and his wife, a teacher, have been saving money for a new antirejection drug coming on the market that the insurance won't cover. And I'm supposed to believe that he just keeps meeting LaRoche, who beats him to a pulp every time they meet, and handing him this hard-earned money that will save his daughter's life. Instead of going to the police, he honors the wishes of Lucinda. Well, forget it. Gulley number one.

Gulley number two. A young man at the office, Winston (RZA) who has been in prison decides to help out Schine. Knowing how violent and ruthless LaRoche is, Schine and Winston go alone, and Winston has an unloaded gun. Not a wise move. Didn't Winston have any buddies that could have gone along?

Gulley number three. Schine says he has two mortgages on his house and talks about how they've scrimped and saved. Question: a man, a woman, a child and a dog live in what looked to be a 10,000 square foot home in a ritzy neighborhood - gosh, ever heard of downsizing? Bet the couple of million you'd have gotten for that place would buy a lot of antirejection drugs.

With a minimum of work, a terrific, exciting, scary story could have been made into a fantastic movie with just a little restructuring and some stronger motives that made sense. Schine really didn't have a reason not to go to the police, even if he said he was mugged and left Lucinda out of it.

Clive Owen made a big splash in "Closer" and was considered for the role of James Bond. He's handsome and a wonderful actor, but if he wants a big-time film career, he's going to have to do better than this. Aniston did a good job as Lucinda, and Cassel was absolutely terrific as the revolting LaRoche.

At the end of the film, when the action and plot devices really pick up, I realized that the first hour and something had been a real waste. It had been badly DERAILED.

After checking out the plot and storyline for Derailed , I can comfortably turn round say that the recommendations posted on here were correct. This film takes the sticks to the old formula and thusly gives a us a very solid thriller rather than an overblown big budget flick . Clive Owen was brilliant playing his role - they should of chosen him for 007 instead of Daniel Craig I felt , and he is the type of character that I felt nearly every man can relate to in someway especially the relationship he has with his boss and not to mention his lateness to work (2 things which I know all to well). However Jennifer Aniston really has done a fine performance and she proves that by taking on this daring role and telling us that her Friends days are well behind her . Vincent Cassel really makes your blood boil, and you do want to smash his face in !!! The settings , moods ,all make it gritty and realistic so beware this could happen to you ! The only draw backs were that the second half of the movie was a little too rushed but giving Owen's situation I was willing to let it slide and the ever so annoying Xibit still trying to scare us with his gun-toting ways . Apart from that all I can say is that it is worth a look , may not be everyones cup of tea but Aniston fans won't be let down . recommended indeed . DERAILED - A STRONG 7.5 OUT 10 .

I saw a sneak preview of this film yesterday in Toronto (Younge & Eglington Theatre) There are some "cheesy" moments but I'm happy to say that they are far and few between.

The acting is not academy-award winning but you will be pleased with the performances.

It is an engaging film that brings you into a dark and gritty underworld that actually can feel quite real at times. You feel for the lead character.

One of the strengths of this film is character development.

It also has some twists that may actually surprise you in a good way.

I think the real downfall of this film is that it has a "Hollywood" ending. For me the film loses points for this.

One final note: the climax, although still good, was pieced together in such a way that it did not hold the tension enough for the theater audience. There was laughter and some heckling in my theater.

I wouldn't walk into this film expecting a ground-breaking film that will change the genre forever, but it is does have some good pacing and the story moved along quite nicely. It is an enjoyable film that I recommend.

Don't miss "Derailed". It is far from a big production, yet its twists and turmoil grip the spectator and force him to highly concentrate and attach to the movie's agitated rhythm. The Neanderthal chemistry between the couple of Owen and Anniston, translates to off screen, giving a satisfactory acting result, although individually many faults can be advised. Vincent Cassel plays the thief with a chilling magnitude."The book manipulates the reader so he cannot advise what is coming next", says Owen's character to her daughter, while analyzing a book together, as a hidden preface. Mikael Häfstrøm (who is quite unknown) cuts into the Hollywood formula and plays with the character psychological aspects while dipping and destroying their life's with certain Hitchcock reminiscences- Don't be confused; this thriller follows the book of Hollywood and has it's own particularities. Now, if you like fast, exciting rides where you remain in the dark and eager to know, this movie is for you. Otherwise, if you like intellectual films; maybe you won't pack to "rail in" to this movie.

Derailed is directed by Mikael Håfström and adapted to screenplay by Stuart Beattie from James Siegel's novel. It stars Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassell, Melissa George and RZA. Music is scored by Ed Shearmur and cinematography by Peter Biziou.

Charles (Owen) and Lucinda (Aniston) meet on a commuter train and in spite of the fact they are married, start flirting. Ending up in a hotel one night, they're beaten and robbed by LaRoche (Cassell) who promptly starts blackmailing Charles......

There's a decent thriller in the mix here, if only it had had a director able to hide the surprises and a writer capable of not making his male protagonist such an unlikable git! It's a shame because the premise is a good one, and there are good performances from an agreeable cast. Film essentially asks us to root for Charles as he battles with a reoccurring villain of some nastiness (Cassell genuinely unnerving), yet not only is he a love cheat (a lovely wife at home and a very sick daughter), he also makes ridiculous errors of judgement. While the holes in logic for some sequences are bafflingly poor. Still, it does have thrills and it doesn't soft soap the violence. Taken on popcorn thriller terms, it's above average and worth a watch, but it's not half as clever as it thinks it is. 6/10

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.

At first I thought wow, Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston, 2 big names. Might be good. I was a bit disappointed. Aniston's character is very flat and one-dimensional in the movie - very forgettable. Clive's acting is convincing, but the plot sucks. The villain (Vincent Cassel) looked pathetic and hardly scary. Even though he commits lots of violent acts in the movie, he really doesn't inspire fear in me. He actually looked more convincing dressed up as an office colleague of Clive Owen's in one particular scene, than when he's dressed as a street thug. Perhaps its because he's a bit too skinny and his skin is too good, perhaps its because his facial features looking more like a 17th century European aristocrat than some Chicago street thug. I think he'd probably do better acting as a psycho-killer rather than a professional thug.

By the end of the movie, I was really unimpressed. Yes the plot didn't really turn out like anyone had suspected, but its more of a "oh right, so what?" feeling I had, rather than a "oh my god. I can't believe it" feeling. By then I was just waiting, sitting there, hoping that something good - something really good - better come along soon, because I've not even gotten excited yet. But it never happened - and I never got excited or scared once throughout the whole movie.

I really wouldn't pay to watch this at the cinema - it would be like when I watched SWAT at the movies a few years ago. It feels like my money would be better spent elsewhere. Probably okay to watch this at home if you didn't have to pay like full price to rent this - if this movie was in the bargain bins somewhere in the video store.

I was avoiding the film because of the lower ratings it had received but after several recommendations, I went and saw it and was surprisingly pleased with the whole film from start to finish. In my opinion, this could be very well one of the best thrillers of the year. The trailer for it really doesn't do it justice for what the movie really is; a dark, suspenseful, edge of your seat thriller. Jennifer Aniston does a great job breaking out of her Friends character that everyone associates her with and that so few sitcom actors have been able to do. Don't wait for this one to come out on DVD. You definitely want to catch this one in the theater.

Now, I'm not well versed in classic thrillers and geniuses like Hitchcock, but I do know a good movie when I see it and this one is good.

The performances are good and your interest is captured and kept from the beginning to the end.

Now it's not perfect and while watching the movie you question certain things as it goes along but its not glaring lapses of logic that leave you thinking yeah right. For example Owen's character never goes to his wife though at various points he seems quite willing to go to the police if Jennifer's character will agree. And even though Jennifer's character understandably doesn't want to report the crime the blackmail will simply stop if Owen told his wife. Which to me, better to risk your marriage by telling the truth rather than risk the life of your child by paying the money.

The weakest part was the ending. The fact that the blackmailer survives and tries to get revenge is a little is like those corny horror movies where you think the evil person is dead but they come back one last time to wreak havoc for a few extra minutes.

But all in all it was not time wasted and I do recommend it.

PRE Oscars REVIEW: I just saw a pre-screening of the film "Derailed" starring the great Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston. What that means is that it wasn't a final version but very close to it. Well I must say I was eager to place Owen into contention for an Oscar nomination after last year popular "Closer." I'm sorry to say that he is out and it's due to the poor, predictable script.

The story was very underdeveloped and a bit unrealistic but the performances of Owen, Aniston, and Vincent Cassel kept the film moving. This movie was Unfaithful meets Matchstick Men meets Reindeer Games. I would recommend the film for a good popcorn flick but in terms of Oscar I would take it out of the game. Owen captures the nature of his character but flops in terms of staying in the location meaning his American accent. Although he is truly the hero of the story and you love the character. He got a couple of "claps" during the film. Aniston gives a very different performance than what we're used to but it works. She's very talented and I would love to see her nominated in the next coming years.

The standout of the cast is Vincent Cassel who's villainous, dark performance will go down in the books as one of the greatest villainous performances in the past years. He truly makes you hate him and you leave with a feeling in your stomach from him on screen. The worst part of the entire film was the terrible musical score which is very distracting and annoying but hopefully with better editing they'll get rid of it and hire someone new. So-so script and good performances make a pretty decent flick.

Derailed is a tight, smart, and dangerous movie about risks. Based on the novel by the same name, it's hard to believe the book could be much better.

Jennifer Aniston gives a great performance, as does Clive Owen. The directing is spot on and the music is simple yet effective. One knock may be the film's cinematography; it looks like you've seen it or a movie like it before. Nothing special about the visual style.

Beware though, this movie is serious in all aspects. It can be violent, foul-mouthed,and at times really thrilling. Those are things thrillers usually aren't.

Luckily, Derailed never goes off the tracks and in the end makes it all the way to the credits. See it, rent it, or buy it. You'll believe that Hitchcock still lives.

A suspenseful "thriller" that could have been a great movie. I say "could have", because it was simply mediocre. Clive Owen carries the movie, but even he isn't at his best due to the bumpy direction. Dialogue doesn't flow or come naturally, and things drag out where they could have been omitted from the movie entirely. The plot in itself is great, and Vincent Cassel steals almost every scene he's in, but I found myself wanting to fast forward through parts of it. I don't think this was a great vehicle for Jennifer Aniston. She doesn't take as big a role in the movie as the trailers lead us to believe, when she does have dialogue, too often she's limited to squeals and whimpers. I can't say I didn't like Derailed, but it's definitely not one of those movies I'd want to watch again.

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.

Derailed is like Fatal Attraction if done by Hitchcock. Going into a sneak preview I did not know much about the film so I was surprised when it strayed from the affair between the characters played by Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston and became more of a mystery that focused on Owen's character. Yes there are some things in Derailed that my not make much sense when the film is over but they work well enough not to detract from the overall enjoyment in watching the film. As Owen's character keeps getting into more and more trouble you can't helped but be sucked into his world and root for him to make things right, just like in many a Hitchcock film. Over all, Derailed isn't going to change the way you look at movies or anything but during the time you spend watching it Derailed will successfully take your mind off of other things and give you some enjoyable entertainment. What else could you ask for from a movie?

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It starts so promisingly that thoughts of "Fatal Attraction" even "Brief Encounter" came to mind but, unfortunately, it degenerates into a rushed, thoughtless TV movie of the week. I can put up with nonsense and suspend my disbelief like the next guy but you have to have all the other elements in place for me to buy whatever it is you're selling. Here the script gives up a wallop just a the right time and then pretends to have accomplished its mission when the wallop should be the beginning of the mission. Clive Owen is a phenomenal actor a true film creature at a pair with the greatest and the best, although I think he is overdoing it a bit. He's everywhere. No, Mr Owen, less is more. Vincent Cassel is terrifying, brilliantly so. Pity that the script doesn't allow him to become a real character and Jennifer Aniston, what can I say? Whenever I mention she's not made for the big screen, her defenders always shout: "Have you seen The Good Girl?" Well, yes, I have and I was fooled like everyone else. She's not in tune with the medium, her performances are just that, performances and not particularly good. Did you see "Rumor Has It"? She's too much of a personality and not enough of an actress. We'll be seeing re runs of Friend for years to come. I think that will remain the Jennifer Aniston that everyone knows and likes.