I picked up Transsiberian, really anticipating an average run of the mill thriller. What I got is a deep, thoughtful, mysterious story, infused with quiet suspense and beautifully haunting setting. Plus, Ben Kingsley can do no wrong. Along with the brilliant Eduardo Noriega and the electrifying Emily Mortimer, the film takes you to experience angst, lust, alienation all at once. To add, Woody Harrelson impressed me the most with his diligent portrayal of a vulnerable and naive American husband, such a contrast to a lot of characters he played in the past.

The cinematography of the Siberian train ride and the surroundings sets the tone of an almost ghastly and spiritually ominous Russian countryside. An American couple who are on this trip of self discovery and in a mission to fix their marriage, met 2 strangers. One thing led to another, their lives collide into an intense drug trafficking scandal, murder, & roller coaster of cat and mouse chase with an ex KGB corrupt cop played by Kingsley. As bizarre as the movie story line may seem, the events are threaded seamlessly and filmed hauntingly, that it makes you hunger for more. A definite thumbs up.