Transsiberian

So what is this one about?
Netflix tells us,

An American couple (Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer) seeking to smooth out their rough marriage buys a ticket on the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. But a chance meeting with two other passengers ends in an accidental murder and high intrigue. Ben Kingsley and Thomas Kretschmann co-star as two Russian police officers trying to solve the baffling case in Brad Anderson's taut and gritty thriller.

And how much did I pay to watch?
I didn't pay anything. Last week, after my mom got her endoscopy, before I got my colonoscopy, we went to the biggest dang blockbuster I've ever seen! Well, at least since the days of the huge BB at FairCity Mall (aka: the dirt mall)...anyway, I rented all three John Adams dvds and then I saw this one. Now, I had wanted to see it at Cinema Arts, and fortutiously, there it was, conveniently on a day where I had nothing else to do but sit and starve. So, she rented it, and it cost her a lot (I think like $20 for four dvds), but it cost me nothing...so yay!

And what did I think?
Now, interestingly enough I didn't really know what this movie was about when I decided I wanted to see it in the theatre. I figured that a movie called Transsiberian would be right up my alley. I was suprised when I read the back of the disc at BB and then even more suprised when I realized the movie was about drug trafficking, NOT human trafficking. Then, after I watched the movie and was writing this I was even more suprised that the netflix description was much more accruate than what I thought it was about. har. All this demonstrates is that I can really be an idiot sometimes.

So, this leaves the question of what did I think about this movie? Well, I thought it was really good. Much much much better than that stupidass movie Eastern Promises. You know, I feel like I can say I am somewhat of a knowledgeable person regarding Eastern Europe and all that shit (what, with the MA and stuff)..and what I saw in Transsiberian is much more realistic for an American, uneducated in the ways of Eastern Europe, audience. A land of understated beauty, sadness, and mystery with a people who have had it tough, but somehow have made it work (wether that is good or not)--now, of course, I sound like a guidebook or somesort of Russo-phile...which I don't think I am.

Another thing that lent amazing credibility to this movie was the fact that the settings were so authentic. Looking at imdb.com I learned that this movie was filmed in Lithuania, so there IS authenticity...with the trains and the snow and shite. (another movie that uses authentic trains was Darjeeling Limited and that makes the movie so much more realistic)

I also found myself talking to the screen as I watched this. Especially towards the end of the film when it turned out to be a bit more like an American action film than like a film chronicling what life can be like in EE. I guess that means I cared about the characters and what happened to them.

All in all, it was very enjoyable, and much more authentic than other movies I have seen that purport to be like this one. Stupid Eastern Promises. Don't bother with that one.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Like I said, it was good. It was really like being trasnported back in time when I rode those trains around Ukraine and Hungary. Train travel in the US is like another world comparitively. Hmm, I should ride more trains.

I digress. This was enjoyable and I would def reccommend it to anyone who wants to watch a film like this. I give it a 7.5.