THE GOOD: "Derailed" starts as a different type of film. Clive Owen plays nice guy Charles Schine, who is having a tough life with his wife Deanna (Melissa George) who have to care for their sick daughter. He has a chance meeting with Lucinda (Jennifer Aniston) on the train, which develops in to a friendship. Eventually, they both decide to have an affair. At this point, the film feels like it is heading in to 'affair' mode when it abruptly changes course in to thriller mode when the couple are interrupted in their hotel room by a mugger who proceeds to rape Lucinda and seriously assault Charles. When he wakes up, Charles wants to call the police but Lucinda pleads with him not to, out of fear their indiscretion will be revealed. Life goes on seemingly, until Charles receives a call from the mugger demanding more money, and a terrible cat-and-mouse game ensues between the two, escalating further and further out of control. The performances of Owen, Aniston and Cassel in this film are quite intriguing and make for interesting viewing as they all trade off against each other in this battle for who comes out on top. It is a great idea for a thriller, almost Hitchcock-like in a way, where the narrative slowly unravels a scenario that is not at all what you thought it was to begin with. There is enough here to hold your interest to see how it ends. "Derailed" is a fine idea for a thriller, and has some moments of genuine tension.
THE BAD: A thriller is supposed to thrill, and unfortunately, the filmmakers decided to infuse this film with a slow, lethargic pace. The story cries out to be told in a more exciting way but it never is. If it were not for the performances, the film would fall flat. As Schine's world spins out of control, it does so in a "one-thing-at-a-time" fashion; you see his desperation, but the narrative is not desperate to get moving. As a result, the film tends to plod along and is just about forgettable which is a shame because there is a lot here to recommend.
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