Derailed (www.the-usher.com)

"You can't tell anyone"

Charles (Owen) meets Lucinda (Aniston) on the morning train into Chicago and they start up a conversation. As the days pass and the train rendezvous continue the pair become closer but as they decide to take their relationship to the next level, risking both their marriages, things go disastrously wrong. As the couple get together in a seedy hotel room an opportune thief interrupts them, terrorising them and stealing all of their belongings. Thinking it is over, Charles and Lucinda return to their lives but when the thief contacts Charles, telling him he wants $20,000 or he will tell his wife about his affair.

Billed as a sexual thriller, does 'Derailed' have enough twists and turns to keep you off track or does it never stray from the rails?

With blackmail, intrigue, tension and violence all the elements of a great thriller are here but 'Derailed' never really offers anything new to the genre. A promising ensemble cast is let down by a script that is extremely predictable and full of clichés. While the film is full of twists and turns, each of these is sign posted far too early, meaning there are no surprises or suspense.

Clive Owen is one of Britain's best dramatic actors working in Hollywood today and one of the few who can actually open a movie. As Charles Schine, he plays a man who is drawn in by temptation and then his life is changed completely for the worse. This is a role that you would think that Owen could really sink his teeth into but he seems to be on autopilot for the full movie. Whether he realised that the script wasn't as original he first read or that he couldn't be bothered we will never know but this isn't the Clive Owen fans will recognise.

Jennifer Aniston's career after 'Friends' has been a bit of a mixed bag. She definitely has the talent, look and skill to make it on the big screen but isn't choosing her roles very well. As Lucinda Harris she takes on a more dramatic role and does show some promise but the role doesn't really challenge her.

Vincent Cassel is another European playing a villain in a Hollywood movie. As Philippe LaRoche, he plays a petty thief who sees an opportunity to make a lot of money from Charles. He is the best thing in the movie, revelling in his fiendish role as he terrorises Owen and Aniston's characters but his characters is also clichéd. The support doesn't fair much better either with rap stars Xzibit and RZA not really having much to do.

'Derailed' is a very average run of the mill thriller that is far too predictable for its own good. The cast deserved a lot more as they had the potential to draw the audience into the action. Both Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen deserve better.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented well.

BONUS FEATURES

Deleted Scenes (10.38 mins)
Entitled 'Amy's Sequence', 'No More Dialysis' and 'Deanna's affair', these deleted or extended scenes suffer from the lack of a commentary track or introduction to explain why they were removed.

The Making of Derailed (8.16 mins)
Director Mikael Håfström, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and stars Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Xzibit and RZA talk about bringing 'Derailed' to the silver screen. The group talk about the Hitchcock influence, the story, the cast and character and what it was like to work with the director.

Theatrical Trailer (2.25 mins)
Watch the trailer that previewed the film in cinemas

Trailers
Previews of 'Casanova', 'Eight Below', 'The Greatest Game Ever Played' and 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'

OVERALL

A very average film gets a very average DVD treatment. The deleted scenes and making of… featurette are very short and don't offer much in the way of support materials. Fans will be disappointed.

DVD

Collateral

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2006