Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

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  • Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

    It got a bunch of crappy reviews from know-it-all critics, but I really liked it. It was a servicable thriller, and it has the type of premise that I really like -- a regular joe makes a mistake. Then the mistake turns out to be a life-threatening disaster, and he can't get anyone else to help him because if he does, his secret will be let out and he'll be destroyed. So he has to try an extricate himself from the big mess.

    Think Fatal Attraction. Guy has a simple affair. Then the woman turns out to be a pyscho and stalks him. He can't get any help because he has to keep it secret from his wife. It gets worse and worse until the conclusion.

    I was interested in the story the whole way, though I don't think Jennifer Aniston was well-cast in this role. She's not a seductress. A little too innocent, not quite sexy enough, and a little long in the tooth for this role.

    I think what really hurts this movie in the eyes of the critics is that we've seen so many con artist thrillers in the last 15 years, we already know the twist. I go into every movie that is based on con artists knowing that the guys best friend/partner is setting up our hero and the the ultimate con will usually be on him. It's either one, the other, or usually both. So immediately I say to myself, "self, Jennifer Aniston is on on it. She's setting him up. She's married to the bad guy."

    I don't think it's the plot's fault that this is the case. If you think about the sting these crooks are trying to pull, it only makes sense. The problem is that we've seen so many movies that involve con artists that we know there are no innocent players involved. If this came out 15 years ago, it probably would have gotten good reviews. Now, though, these smug film critics are talking about how obvious the plot twists are. As if they could construct anything better.

    I give this film a thumb's up. I was entertained throughout (pretty rare for me).



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  • #2
    Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

    It'll be very interesting to see this film!

    House of Shadows is the only work by Håfström that I really liked. I don't know how Evil could be so highly praised - the book (by Jan Guillou) is sooo much better.

    Aniston - not sexy enough? Hmm, high demands man... ;-)

    /H
    'Media is the evil of all evils, they tell you only what
    they want the story to be'¦'

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    • #3
      Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

      A friend took me to see this when I was suffering from jet lag. I had not heard anything about it, knew nothing about the plot. It had me gripped from the beginning. The screenwriter inside me was so tired, that I enjoyed it for once. People kept talking about plot holes, but I didn't notice. I just fastened my safety belt and enjoyed the ride. I think as potential screenwriters we are apt to be too critical and that ruins the cinematic experience at times.

      I did not dig Aniston, thought she look tired and droopy round the mouth. Certainly no seductress... but then again Owen's character was depressed and exhausted and certainly was not looking for a hot affair. He found and hooked up with someone whose life he believed was as derailed as his was. A woman whose workaholic husband neglected her and who was effectively a single mum was someone potentially sympathetic to Owen's life. That was the fatal attraction really, it was not initially about sex, but the familiarity of circumstances.

      VW
      Si vis me flere dolendum est primum ipsi tibi
      If you wish me to weep, you yourself must first feel grief.

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      • #4
        Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

        anniston was droopy around the mouth indeed i thought she was cast right because of her innocence she was good for the part she played.

        i liked this film. it was not as predictable as i thought and is definately worth the rental. however, i agree we've seen this basic con woman/man premise a good amount of times.
        One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

        The Fiction Story Room

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        • #5
          Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

          I also liked this film, but found it agonizing to watch at times. I loved the premise.

          To me, Aniston is far more interesting in this diabolical role than her other rather predictable, nice girl-next-door personas.
          Last edited by scriptwriterNYC; 08-03-2006, 06:10 AM.

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          • #6
            Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

            yea, at times i felt like getting up to go do things around the house but kept watching for whatever reason. not really sure what made me feel like that during the movie.
            One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

            The Fiction Story Room

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

              I barely made it through this picture, the first act dragged so badly. Anniston might be a femme, but it's that homely mug of her's that's fatale.

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              • #8
                Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                ouch!
                One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

                The Fiction Story Room

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                  Found the book at the dollar store before I saw it. I read it in one day. The movie was okay. Not as great as the book. Some things are different. But the movie wasn't as horrible as I thought it was going to be.

                  Clive Owen is one sexy man.

                  And I don't think Jennifer Aniston is homely at all. She's very purty.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                    Clive Owen was great in Closer, too.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                      Originally posted by scriptwriterNYC
                      Clive Owen was great in Closer, too.
                      Yes Natalie was just great in there and I'm not referring to those moments in the strip bar. Loved her in every scene she was in.
                      Oh yeah, Clive was great too. Funny scene with Jude and him having virtual you-know.
                      A talent for drama is not a talent for writing, but is an ability to articulate human relationships.
                      Gore Vidal

                      "Aisatsu Yori Ensatsu"
                      Money is better than compliments.


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                      • #12
                        Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                        An unwatchable and terribly written movie that gave the plot away at the very beginning; when Lucinda (Aniston) offered to pay for Charles' (Owen) train ticket without even looking at him. Who couldn't see he was being set up by her? And Owen was miscast as a wuss, Aniston as a femme fatale.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                          i would think in real life the woman (Anniston) would be smart enough to use another train or even a different con so she isnt tracked. Owen's job shouldve been a little harder to track her down.
                          One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

                          The Fiction Story Room

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                            ***SPOILERS***



                            Caught this on cable tonight.

                            Before writing this review, I read a thread in the Screenwriting forum that asks, "What good is a twist if people can guess it?" Somebody in there made the point that as an audience, we are now trained to look for the twist which makes it almost impossible for the writer to get one past us. And they're right.

                            I too figured out the twist of Derailed in the 1st act (much like everyone else probably did) but I somewhat enjoyed the movie anyway. The 1st act was slow but it builds up quite nicely until the finale.

                            What I realized afterwards is that this film is littered with plot holes.

                            1) For instance, who is stupid enough to believe that giving the man a small sum of money will shut him up for good? He never slept with the Jennifer Anniston character. And yet we are to believe that the protag would give up over $100,000 just to keep his blackmailer quiet?

                            2) When the protag goes to kill the man who blackmailed him, he relies on subduing him with a wooden candlestick. How did he know:

                            (a) That the man wouldn't see him first and kill him with his gun.
                            (b) The black guy wasn't going to be around.

                            3) And then ask yourself why the other mark would attack the man when he was in no danger himself...

                            I felt exactly like the main character after seeing this film--I enjoyed the thrill until I realized afterwards I had been duped all along.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Derailed. I liked it. Slight spoilers.

                              At one point during this film I found myself crouched-down
                              beside the sofa biting my knuckles. It's the first time (in a long time)
                              a film has moved me, literally, off the couch. Loved it!
                              si

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