Dir: Mikael Hafstrom. US. 2005. 108mins.
Representing a fairly low profile debut for a highprofile operation, The Weinstein Company's Derailedis a sharp, nicely cast neo-noir thriller that loses some of its edge over thecourse of its twisting and turning plot.
Swedish director Mikael Hafstrom - whose
Stars Clive Owen andJennifer Aniston, though, will provide most of the commercial pulling power,suggesting a solid but probably not spectacular box-office take for the firstrelease under Bob and Harvey Weinstein's new corporate banner.
The Weinstein Co opens thefilm wide in North America (with an R rating) this coming weekend. Competitionfor the adult and urban audiences likely to be attracted to
Under a deal between the Weinsteins and their old, Disney-owned Miramax operation,Buena Vista International will release the film outside the US, mostly in theNew Year. The continental feel and internationally flavoured cast - in whichBritain's Owen is joined by French star Vincent Cassel- could push Derailed to a biggerinternational than domestic take.
Chicago advertising executiveCharles Schine (Owen) is at the centre of the script,written by Stuart Beattie (Collateral)and based on James Siegel's best-selling 2003 novel of the same title.
With a sick teenage daughterto care for, Charles and wife Deanna (Australian-born George, last seen in
On the train to work onemorning, Charles meets the alluring and slightly mysterious Lucinda (Aniston).Lunch dates and then a boozy evening in the city eventually lead Charles andLucinda to a hotel room, but before they can act on their infatuation they areinterrupted by brutal criminal LaRoche (Cassel, whose last US film was Ocean's 12), who beats Charles and rapes Lucinda.
The assault sets up the firstof the moral dilemmas that will drag Charles away from his domestic problemsinto a much more dangerous and violent world.
Early on, Hafstrom's under-stated direction, Beattie's pointeddialogue and a refreshingly subtle narrative style give the film an enticingatmosphere that's sexy as well as sinister. The mood is enhanced by well-chosenlocations and well-designed sets (the film was shot in the UK's Elstree Studios, as well as on location in London andChicago) and by the very sparing use of music.
After the hotel room assault- whose brutal action prematurely ends the film's only sex scene - thingsbecome more plot-driven. Successive plot twists changethe relationships between Charles, LaRoche andLucinda and bring in new characters, including an ex-con colleague of Charles'(played by rapper RZA) and a suspicious detective (played by Spike Lee regularGiancarlo Esposito).
The twists aren'tpredictable, but neither are they particularly credible. And as they come todominate the story, the film begins to lose its edge, seeming more familiar andcontrived. The characters, too, seem to blur into stereotypes, like thecharming/menacing usurper and the two-timing femme fatale.
Thankfully, though, thestrong and eclectic cast keeps things interesting to the end. Owen makes itimpossible to pin down Charles as either a victim or a brute. And Aniston makesLucinda both seductive and convincingly conflicted.
Cassel's LaRoche is a suitablynasty villain (in spite of his wavering accent), and RZA, who as well asscoring a number of films has appeared in ScaryMovie 3 and Coffee & Cigarettes,is impressive in his small but significant role.
Production companies
Weinstein Company
Miramax Films
Di Bonaventura Pictures
US distribution
Weinstein Company
International distribution
Buena Vista International
Executive producers
Harvey Weinstein
Bob Weinstein
Jonathan Gordon
Producer
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Screenplay
Stuart Beattie, from the novel by James Siegel
Cinematography
Peter Biziou
Editor
Peter Boyle
Production design
Andrew Laws
Music
Edward Shearmur
Main cast
Clive Owen
Jennifer Aniston
Melissa George
Vincent Cassel
RZA
Xzibit
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