Derailed (2005)

Derailed is a good old-fashioned film noir crime suspense drama about a man, Charles Schine, played by the charming Clive Owen, who's in an uninspiring marriage and faltering under the stress of his daughter's illness. During one of his daily commutes on the train he unintentionally strikes a friendship with the beautiful Lucinda Harris, played by Jennifer Aniston, who is also in a rather lifeless marital existence.

Over the following days their daily travel to work turns from friendship to infatuation. When the infatuation turns to lust the two of them struggle to maintain their vows, yet finally succumb to their emotions and sneak away to a run down hotel to engage in ill-advised adultery.

Before their morally challenged act can be fully consummated, they are attacked by an evil man named Laroche, played by Vincent Cassel, who beats Owen unconscious. Owen awakes to find Aniston bruised and raped. It appears their little tryst has turned tragic. Things don't get any better for Owen who finds himself being stalked by Laroche, who demands more and more money, holding Owen's affair as leverage over his tenuous home life.

The pressure and violence Laroche perpetrates on Owen grows until Owen is forced to sacrifice everything to either save his family or save himself.

Derailed works on a lot of levels. The script is finely tuned and keeps you guessing throughout. The blackmail and following actions are believable within the context of the story and the performances by Owen, Aniston and Cassel are all extremely good.

I was first introduced to Owen when BMW, along with David Fincher, had decided to promote their new line of cars by hiring famous directors to shoot short films that involved their cars. Owen starred as The Driver in all of the BMW shorts, directed by such well known helmsman as John Woo, Tony Scott, Joe Carnahan, Ang Lee, John Frankenheimer and Guy Ritchie.

Owen, who also starred in Spike Lee's Inside Man, should be a bigger star than he is right now. He's handsome, charming and can act. I hope the rest of the world discovers this wonderful talent.

Aniston continues to expand her creative wings in a post-Friends era by taking on a sexy femme fatale whose motives are darker than we've seen her show before. And Cassel, who was recently in Ocean's Twelve, is frightening as the unpredictable and ultra-violent Laroche. When he's on the screen, you pay attention.

The $22 million Derailed was a modest hit in the United States, grossing $36 million and continues to generate money worldwide. If you like a classic noir-ish film about lust, blackmail and violence Derailed fits the bill.