Film noir has always been an interesting genre for me, but many of them fail to hold my attention. Today there aren't many coming out on a yearly basis, but the ones that do seem to garner a lot of attention. Brad Anderson, who is known for psychological thrillers, has injected this talent into his newest outing with Transsiberian. The story revolves around an American couple haphazardly caught in a Russian drug run as they take a train from China back to Moscow to catch their flight home.
After the film's first scene, the first line in English is, "ours is not a gray world" and then sets out the rest of the time to prove that statement wrong. There are few characters here that can be seen as pure good or bad. Even Woody Harrelson's faithful Christian do-gooder character doesn't hesitate to do something morally objectionable when pushed far enough. And the Rusian investigator played by Ben Kingsley, who serves as an antagonist of sorts, is a man we as an audience can sympathize with. Our lead characters are very much in the gray area but never become completely reprehensible.
The entire film, with a handful of exceptions, is shot handheld. This look adds to a very documentary, in the thick of things feel to it all, adding to the tension that slowly builds from the very beginning. There are a few flashback shots that I think weren't necessary, though, and I think Anderson either wasn't confident enough in his narrative style or audience to leave them out. That being said, there are only two very brief flashback shots that I can remember distracting me from the plot, so considering the detective-like theme it could have been much worse.
The acting is up to snuff, but this should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen Ben Kingsley, but this is the first time I have seen Emily Mortimer in a film. She does her part in adding to the collective tension leading the audience up to the climax late in the story. I usually steer away from thrillers because I hate having to sit through the tense moments, but here, where there is no clear cut party to root for, it was easier to bare. There were still a few moments where I found myself clenching my fists, but I suppose that is the point of a thriller.