Transsiberian

What a thrilling movie! If you are a little squeamish, there are two hide-your-eyes spots in this film; otherwise, buckle up for an exciting, involving, suspenseful ride!

An American couple has just completed a humanitarian project in Eastern Asia. To take advantage of the trip, the husband, played by Woody Harrelson ("A Prairie Home Companion," "No Country for Old Men" and "Battle In Seattle") convinces his wife, played by Emily Mortimer ("Dear Frankie," "Match Point" and "Lars and the Real Girl") to start the trip back by riding a train from Vladivostok to Moscow instead of flying directly to the US. He is a train buff and feels this is the best chance he will ever have to experience a really l-o-n-g train ride (it is a seven-day train trip to Moscow). The rigors of train travel, particularly in a country where very few people speak English, are made very clear: the claustrophobia-inducing sleeping accommodations, the undependable plumbing, the ubiquitous vodka.

They are soon joined by another couple: a charming Spanish man, played by the appealing Eduardo Noriega, and his smoky-eyed companion, played by Kate Mara ("We Are Marshall" and "Brokeback Mountain"). It soon becomes clear that things aren't quite what they seem. At one of the stops our hero goes missing and his wife is assured that if the three of them get off at a nearby stop, they will show her a spectacular sight while her husband catches up with them on the next train.

Ben Kingsley ("Gandhi," "House of Sand and Fog" and "You Kill Me") is a Russian policeman who seems to have amazing insight into everyone's behavior.

Let me just say that the aerial shots of the train traveling through Siberia, the views along the way, the pictures she takes (she is an amateur photographer), all factor into this straight-forward plot. Emily Mortimer is a wonderful actress and this film makes the most of her abilities. As an aside, I was impressed by a tiny twitch under the left eye when one of the characters was under stress.