Derailed (2005) Reviews

• This film could DERAIL you!!

  philip-ct2006-02-13

  I was a bit hesitant about seeing the film because of the low ratings. BUT despite false "endings" this is a film worth seeing. The three leads are good, although Clive Owen's character is three dimensional in a way that Vince Cassell's and Jennifer Aniston's aren't. There is definitely a chemistry between Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston, which goes a long way to making the premise of the film "work" and also makes the twists so sudden, so plausible, so believable, so odd! It's an atmospheric film aided by good music and interesting "minor" characters. See this film, willing to suspend disbelief. It's not a great film, often a little implausible. But the genre it creates calls for one to "go for a ride" too. It is a film that, with twists and turns, will keep you "derailed". It's a good thriller, and ends on a positive note. Don't be put off seeing it.

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• Under rated

  bob-20432005-12-18

  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.

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• And All They Really Needed Was a Decent Financial Planner

  wainscoat-12006-04-25

  Yet another movie where the set designer was obviously more important than the writer. Yet another movie where the luxury of the hero's home totally undercut his "desperate" need for money. The Schines seemed to be living in a two million dollar house jammed with enough generic knick-knacks to qualify for a Pottery Barn shoot location - and yet it has taken them 7 years to save the $100K for their daughter's operation? When Schine's wife asked him the perfectly reasonable question about why they couldn't just sell the house to get money, he replied that it was fully mortgaged. Guess what? If you sell the house, they don't make you pay the 100K in interest a year than he must be paying on his fully mortgaged $2 million. In the end Schine was willing to kill for his daughter; but getting a dinky little two bedroom apartment in an ugly burb with a bad commute was out of the question. If you really want to shock an audience today, forget the rapes and stabbings, just try making a movie with bad decor.

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• surprisingly good

  Jaleea12006-02-09

  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.

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• Never goes off the tracks

  andy-armstrong2006-02-05

  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.

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