Indian. Iranian. American. British. Ben Kingsley goes through character ethnicities the way most people do restaurants.
Kingsley adds Russian to his repertoire in "Transsiberian," a thriller set on a train running from China to Moscow.
He plays Grinko, a shadowy Russian law enforcement officer. To reveal much about Grinko would be to spoil the story, but all you need to know is this is Kingsley in raging "Sexy Beast" form.
Grinko, who is not a man you'd want to cross in a claustrophobic train compartment, figures heavily into the fates of American couple Jessie (Emily Mortimer) and Roy (Woody Harrelson). After conducting charitable work for their church in China, the couple are taking the train to clear their heads and experience some culture. Their journey crosses the frigid wasteland of Siberia, as well as the metaphorically darker, colder regions of lust and greed.
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The uneasy couple are after adventure, and they get quite a bit more than they imagined. They meet the smooth-talking Spaniard, Carlos, (Eduardo Noriega) and his traveling partner, a young American named Abby (Kate Mara). Drinking and chatter lead to a wavering bond between the couples. The real action begins when Jessie and Roy are separated. The suspense rises steadily and builds to a full-speed-ahead boil in the second half.
Torture, adultery, cash and drugs come into play, and since it's set on a train you can be certain there will be at least one scene of a character dangling precariously over the tracks.
Tucsonan Will Conroy and director Brad Anderson ("Happy Accidents") penned a screenplay that lays finely tuned railwork for the powerhouse cast to chug along. The true test of a resonant thriller is to imagine how interesting the story would be if you removed the plot twists and standoffs. Buried beneath layers of intrigue, "Transsiberian" is a sad and quiet relationship drama.
Jessie and Roy have a complicated relationship that's never fully explained, so you're left to speculate about their background. They've got problems, including trust issues and personality clashes, that they're working through. In a way, their vacation is an escape from their fears that they are incompatible.
"Transsiberian" stays unpredictable all the way to the last stop. Many films stick to a standard action-reaction formula that rewards and punishes characters with contrivances geared to make you feel justice was served. "Transsiberian" takes a more cerebral route, toying with your expectations only to give you something else, whispering hints of what fate might have in store for the characters after the credits roll.
The fact that you'll still be thinking about them days later is a testament to the sort of ride "Transsiberian" delivers.
Review
Transsiberian
***1/2
• Rated: R for some violence, including torture and language.
• Cast: Emily Mortimer, Woody Harrelson, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega.
• Director: Brad Anderson.
• Family call: Sex and violence make this one strictly for grown-ups.
• Running time: 111 minutes.
