Derailed

Derailed (Director: Mikael Hafstrom)













Hafstrom is a veteran Swedish director taking on Hollywood for the first time. Screenplay comes from Stuart Beattie (Collateral), who adapted the James Siegel novel.

Introducing the first picture from The Weinstein Company, freshly broken from Miramax after the Disney split. And here's Jennifer Aniston's first picture to come out in the "After Brad Pitt" era, one that touches on the subject of adultery--so I'm sure there's been a lot made of that.

Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is an ad exec who's been fired from a big project, and he's in a marriage (wife played by Melissa George, whose hotness screams to be more than just a wife...I mean, come on, people!) that seems just a tad bit in a rut, or slightly on the rocks, complicated by a daughter (Addison Timlin) with diabetes. One day, like any other day, he rides the train into downtown Chicago to go to work, and he forgets to bring money for the ride. No worries; an alluring stranger named Lucinda (Aniston) has the fare, and the beginnings of a friendship...with benefits, begins and leads to the inevitable hotel room. Before penetration can occur, however, a thief named Laroche (Vincent Cassel) busts down the door, robs them both, rapes Lucinda and is off. But he's not done. He wants more, and he calls Charlie's cell phone demanding increasing sums. They can't say anything to the cops, or they'll be found out. And things just keep getting worse, of course.

This is an excellent thriller, one with some twists and turns that I will not spoil for you. If you've seen many of these movies, then you might be able to guess them long beforehand--but the filmmakers do a pretty good job of giving one little whammy that I didn't expect. Clive Owen, I just love this dude to death. And Brad Pitt, shame on you. Jennifer Aniston, besides being extremely hot, turns in a good performance. And rappers Xzibit, as Laroche's accomplice, and especially RZA, as Charlie's friend Winston, are solid. I've always thought that white dudes should have a rapper on their side.

If you'd like to see reviews for Zathura, which opens this weekend, or Capote, which finally arrived in Nashville this weekend, click on the menu at the top or just click the links.