Dir. Mikael Hafstrom, 2005, US, 107mins
Cast: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, RZA, Tom Conti
As one of the first releases for the newly independent Weinsteins, Derailed has several things going for it – a very-hot-right-now Clive Owen, a script penned by the writer of Pirates of the Caribbean and Collateral, and an Oscar-nominated director who can definitely handle thrillers. And did anybody mention Jennifer Aniston? The reality however, is somewhat different.
Adapted from the best selling novel by James Siegel, Derailed is a by the numbers thriller that will not leave you guessing. The plot twists are spelled out IN VERY BIG LETTERS, in case you miss them, and the direction of Mikael Hafstrom (Evil) is at times heavy-handed, leaving you in no doubt as to what the conclusion will be. That said, getting there is not unpleasant.
Clive Owen as Charles Schine, the hapless, joyless ad exec, is good value for money, giving a subtle but powerful performance. Having missed his early morning train helping his sick daughter with her homework, he meets Lucinda (Aniston), and from that point he no longer has control of his life.
Charles and Lucinda eventually end up in a cheap hotel room. At the crucial moment a man bursts in, beating Charles to a pulp and violating Lucinda. Owen’s portrayal of Schine’s descent into despair, whilst not quite on a par with his incredible performance in Croupier, is enough to keep the audience interested as they witness his life falling apart. Aniston, clearly hoping to erase the memory of Rachel Green, appears comfortable with the material, and it is refreshing to see her attempting a more mature role. Her performance, whilst not startling, is at least encouraging.
As Euro-villain LaRoche (the ever-excellent Vincent Cassel) turns the screws, Schine becomes increasingly desperate to protect his family, even going so far as to embezzle company funds to pay a killer to take care of him. Winston (RZA), the ex-con mail boy, offers to help Charles with his problem for a small fee. RZA, perhaps suprisingly, gives possibly the most sympathetic performance in the film. There are, in fact, two rappers appearing in the film – the other is Xzibit from Pimp My Ride. Casting rappers may sometimes appear gimmicky, as many who attempt to act really shouldn’t give up their day jobs. Hafstrom clearly got lucky here as both turn in commendable performances, particularly RZA.
LaRoche’s scheme comes to a head when he demands $100,000. Having already wormed his way into Charles’ home, we are in no doubt as to the serious nature of the threat. Cassel, as the homicidal Gallic gangster, may be psychotic but at least he’s interesting; the rest of the cast, including Xzibit, Melissa George from Home and Away and Tom Conti are perfunctory at best, used only when emotional buttons need to be pushed. The simple truth is that if anyone was in Charles’ position, they wouldn’t say no to Jennifer Aniston either, so soul-crushing are his family and career.
The conclusion, when it finally arrives, is contrived and in no way satisfactory, and one wonders if the film was built around the wrong character. The script does have its moments - there is some light banter at the beginning of the movie; Charles and Lucinda’s flirtation is well-written, and Winston and Charles’ friendship is amusing, with RZA getting to grips with some choice dialogue. However, even with a writer of Stuart Beattie’s abilities, on the whole the script is disappointing, leaving us to wonder if perhaps the source material is at fault.
Although Derailed is not a terrible movie, the Weinsteins will have been hoping for much more for their money. It’s a B-Movie in the best sense of the word - enjoyable up to a point, forgettable when you leave the theatre. Save your money. Wait for the DVD.
Emma Matthews
Buena Vista Home Entertainment have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Derailed for 19th June 2006.
Extras include a making-of-featurette, deleted scenes and trailer.
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