Film Reviews

Derailed

The nasty French villain in Mikael Håfstrom's thriller, played with obvious relish by Vincent Cassel, is the best thing about this neo-noir rehash of everything from Double Indemnity to Cape Fear to Fatal Attraction. Whether squeezing his victim's testicles into a knot or exchanging ironic banter with a henchman, Cassel's Philippe LaRoche is a wonderfully guilty pleasure to watch. But Clive Owen and ex-Friend Jennifer Aniston don't fare so well as a pair of Chicago executives whose tryst in a sleazy hotel room is interrupted by a pistol-whipping, a brutal rape, and, later, blackmail. The plot twists and the dramatic tension are okay, but it's the supporting players (rapper RZA stands out as a likable ex-con) and the gun thug who occasionally bring the film to a sizzle.

Now playing at five locations in Miami-Dade.

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Bill Gallo

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