DVD Review: Night Train
Night Train (2009)
Studio: National Entertainment Media
DVD/Blu Ray Release Date: July 7, 2009
Directed By: M. Brian King
Cast: Danny Glover, Steve Zahn, Leelee Sobieski
Review By: Marc Patterson
A washed up, down on his luck salesman (Zahn), a veteran train conductor (Glover) and a peculiar pre-med student (Sobieski) fatefully cross paths on one cold winter night while riding the Night Train. Joining their ride is a man who says little and without warning dies quietly from a pill overdose while on their shared car. Culling over the body our three discover an odd shaped wooden box that contains extraordinary riches. Knowing that the man never had a ticket, and knowing that no one saw him board the train our three are faced with the ultimate moral dilemma. They can keep the treasure, split it three ways, and ditch the body, or they can take the ethical path and turn the man and his possessions over to the authorities at the next stop. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that our mis-matched cast will eventually opt to keep the treasure. But doing so is going to come at a high price. A three way power struggle and a life or death game fueled by greed will push our three to the brink of sanity and make them do unthinkable things.
Night Train offers up a real mixed bag of treats. It was quietly released to the market as a direct to DVD feature, yet it boasts an A-list, (or at least high on the B-list) roster of actors. Watching the film I was confounded as to why any of these actors would have taken this script. On paper this surely seemed like a great story, but the delivery of that script to the screen lacked the emotional intensity necessary to create an effective spirit of suspense. The highly stylized cinematography, with softened edges and heavy contrast levels gives the film a bit of a comic book feel, though not as much as say Sin City. It was as though the whole film was shot in “Dream Vision 2.0”, which ultimately I found detracting from the overall experience, rather than enhancing it.
The story wasn’t without some highlights. There were a couple well timed twists and Leelee Sobieski manages to salvage the film by pulling out the best performance of the film as the pre-med student with a streak of darkness that you wouldn’t expect. While Zahn’s down and out salesman schtick grows tiresome Sobieski raises the level of tension, though never quite to where you want it to go. In other words, don’t expect a white knuckled thriller. Glover sadly barely showed up.
Despite the engaging plotline the pacing was too slow, the acting not convincing, and the action too far in-between to make this an enjoyable experience. Night Train is ultimately a train I’d happily have let ride down the tracks without me on it.
Brutal As Hell Rating:
2 out of 5
