Derailed

[tamaradixon]

Clive Owen, oh how you have forsaken me. My love for you was deep and now we have "Derailed". Why Clive why?

Not as bad as the reviews would have you believe, but what a disappointment. And Clive Owen in the worst written role in history.

And for the "Good Movie Manners Cost NOthing" thread, I had the joy of sitting next to a couple of women who had to give a running commentary along with their gasps and "oh my Gods". They were the only people in the theater who were surprised by the 'twists and turns' and in turn this caused those around them to laugh out loud. People were laughing out loud at the film too. Never a good sign.

[heavenwithagun]

As I said in the Ani thread, I think it's a taut little thriller akin to Red Eye, a popcorn flick. Clive was excellent, Jen was better than adequate. They were not miscast. I don't want to do a spoiler so let me just say that some of the quibbles I had with her acting were rendered moot with the twist at the end.

I'm the absolute worst at predicting how a movie will do, so I won't for this one. I'm just watching to see what happens.

[topher]

Fair Warning:

Keep to the movie in this thread.

[lpatrice]

I checked out the book from the library this weekend. I'll read the book, and if I like the book, I'll probably go see the movie to compare. But I'll probably just catch it at the dollar theatre in a couple of months. If anyone is interested The Movie Spoiler, has a spoiler filled synopsis of the movie up.

[heavenwithagun]

lpatrice said:

I checked out the book from the library this weekend. I'll read the book, and if I like the book, I'll probably go see the movie to compare. But I'll probably just catch it at the dollar theatre in a couple of months. If anyone is interested The Movie Spoiler, has a spoiler filled synopsis of the movie up.

That's probably the best way not to get any enjoyment out of the movie whatsoever.

[jazz]

I read the book quite a while ago. It did not grab my interest at all and I had a hard time finishing it. So out of curiosity I went to the mall today and shopped and decided I'll check our Derailed. It was about 12:15PM when I went, not full but okay since it is noon.

She was not that bad but the movie dragged. I was bored after 20 minutes - Clive Owen does nothing for me and there was no chemistry whatever between the two of them. I left a little after the hotel scene because it just was not interesting to me.

[hamhock]

I read the book a couple of years ago and liked it.
I saw the movie about 3 hours ago. I enjoyed it, it entertained me and that's all I ask.
I thought everyone did a good job.

[Deleted]

I saw the movie this evening (a 4:20 show that was pretty packed - suprising, I thought) and was just disappointed. I thought the performances were all pretty good. I didn't see any real miscasting (well, except for Xzibit - wtf? it was so unnecessary to cast a big name rap star in a role like that - it really took away from the dramatic suspense to see X running around like a fool, imo) and thought that Aniston was sort of a clever casting stunt because of her "nice girl" reputation. It was easy to buy her as a nice woman in a bad marriage (heh) who was tempted by fate to cheat on her husband with another person stuck in a bad marriage. If I hadn't been bombarded with stuff about her needing to be a fatale, I might not have seen the big twist coming, but, sadly, finding out that Jen and Vincent were criminal and romantic partners was no surprise at all. Clive, although he does have this aura of brute strength and masculinity, was very good as a rather hapless fellow who just didn't know how to work things out. Vincent Cassel was good in a pretty one-dimensional part. I wish Hollywood would give him something worthy of his talents instead of a constant parade of Eurotrash baddies. Sigh.

Although I thought the performances were fine (and am glad that most critics are recognizing the efforts of the 3 main cast members even if they pan the film), the screenplay was just awful. It has twists and turns that might work well on the page but just didn't on the screen. Instead of being shocking or empowering (or whatever), the twists and story arc were just unbelievable (even suspending the disbelief, which I like to think I am quite capable of doing, that is required for a thriller) and, by the end of the movie, I was just faintly amused where I think I should have been feeling something else.

If you really like Cassel, Owen or Aniston, I say see it. They all put in good performances (although nowhere near their best, imo). I love Clive and Vincent and enjoy watching them on the big screen. I can't say I liked the movie but I don't regret watching it. There are some enjoyable moments but the film as a whole really isn't worthy of all the talent involved and that left me ultimately unsatisfied.

[softtissue]

I just got back from seeing Derailed and I liked it more than I thought I would. I really went to see it just because I feel kinda sorry for JA. The "twists" were of course very predictable but I do not hold it against this film any more than I hold it against all the other films with "surprise" endings. Really, I can't think of the last time I actually was surprised by a film's twists and turns. I felt that JA was a little too deliberate in her attempts to be Not Rachel. Perhaps in a few years, with a little distance between Friends and Derailed, her performance will be less self-conscious. I give it a good, solid 6.5.

[Deleted]

softtissue said:

I just got back from seeing Derailed and I liked it more than I thought I would. I really went to see it just because I feel kinda sorry for JA. The "twists" were of course very predictable but I do not hold it against this film any more than I hold it against all the other films with "surprise" endings. Really, I can't think of the last time I actually was surprised by a film's twists and turns. I felt that JA was a little too deliberate in her attempts to be Not Rachel. Perhaps in a few years, with a little distance between Friends and Derailed, her performance will be less self-conscious. I give it a good, solid 6.5.

She definitely has a ways to go til folks will stop considering her Rachel or Polly - you know? Derailed is only step one.