Derailed (2005)

The critics didn't like Derailed very much - an average RottenTomatoes score of nearly 21% would indicate the film is a real stinker.

Normally I find myself siding with the critics over the general public (at least as represented over at imdb) where opinions differ, but in this case I think the critics were way too harsh, and the public got it right in giving it over 60%.

The main criticisms levelled at Derailed are that not only is it implausible, unoriginal and overly moralistic, with twists that are too predictable, but that it features two leads (Clive Owen and Jennifer Aston) who have no real chemistry.

I can think of a lot of Hollywood films at which those criticisms could be leveled, but that hasn't usually resulted in the sort of bile that's been heaped on this movie, and one can't help wondering whether this is more down to scoring points against the Weinstein Company that produced it or just perception of the lead actress' performance based on months of tabloid gossip.

While I'd agree that there's little real chemistry between the two leads, one can't deny that both are very attractive, and appear even more so in glorious high definition, making for nice eye candy throughout the film's 112 minute running time. And while the plot is predictable, it's nicely paced, as well as being well performed by its cast. If you like thrillers, with a few surprises along the way, and a relatively tidy ending, you could do a lot worse than checking out Derailed.

Clive Owen plays Charles Schine, a successful campaign manager who's got into a rut in all areas of his life. The worries of his seriously ill daughter, his long hours in a career that's gone a bit stale, and a marriage where the two partners rarely have personal time for each other is not the recipe for a happy human being. When the very attractive, but also married, Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) comes to his rescue on his daily train commute, a flirty relationship that adds excitement to his life develops, culminating in a 'one-night stand' (or one hotel stand) that gets a rude interruption which will ultimately turn both their lives upside down. Schine finds himself being blackmailed, and becoming increasingly desperate as the demands keep rising and the threats to his career and home life become more and more real.

This theme of 'the innocent man pushed to extremes' is a familiar theme, and one Alfred Hitchcock has dealt with far more cleverly and originally than this, but Derailed moves along at a reasonable pace, is niftily edited, and rather well acted too. There really isn't that much to dislike about the film. Aniston in particular is excellent, and shows, yet again, that she's a far better actress than those stuck in the world of Friends are prepared to admit, although she does seem to have a complete inability to spot good movies that would best showcase her talent. Even Owen, an actor I can enjoy looking at, whilst wishing at the same time he wasn't quite so wooden, surprises too, thankfully dropping his rather 'rough' British accent for a faint American one that fooled this viewer, although admittedly I'm not good at judging the authenticity of American accents (after all, I even thought Dick Van Dyke was a good choice for Mary Poppins!) Visually, the film is never too pedestrian, indeed it's very polished in places, and most of the budget is clearly visible and on the screen. What's not to enjoy? Really!

This is one of the first batch of HD-DVDs from the Weinstein Company, and whilst I can't criticise the picture quality, which, given the material, is worthy of the title 'High Definition', I CAN criticise the poor use of the medium. This is an 'Unrated version' which apparently means a couple of the fight scenes are a little more violent than in the theatrical cut, but otherwise little advantage has been taken of the capabilities of HD-DVD when it comes to U-Control features, automatic timelines or additional extras being available through the increased capacity.

There's no commentary and little in terms of running time (less than 20 minutes in total) for extra's.

A short 8 minute Making Of featurette is marketing fluff that adds nothing to the movie viewing experience. There are seven minutes of Deleted Scenes, which at least help to demonstrate how fantastic the high definition image on the main feature is, given how much like a poor VHS recording they look. The deleted scenes do reveal an interesting plot thread that was left out of the theatrical release, but which, if included, might have answered those critics who found the film a touch too moralistic on the subject of partners having affairs outside marriage. The Theatrical Trailer is also included, but that's it.

This HD-DVD presentation could have been better in terms of extra's and commentary, and this isn't a title that's going to rush off the shelves as a 'reference standard demonstration' disk, the way King Kong, Batman Begins and The Hulk are currently doing. But with the paucity of high-def material available at the moment, this title is well worth considering if you like a thriller that isn't too taxing, and which is at least professionally presented and acted. Recommended, but with strong reservations, and if you can get hold of it as a rental rather than a purchase, that's the way to go!