AMB Reviews

Passengers: 8.5/10 Stars

Release Date: October 24, 2008

Content Advisory: Rated PG-13 for thematic material including some scary images and sensuality. A plane crashes, complete with explosions and dead bodies (not graphic, however). There is one brief sex scene, but we only see the lovers faces and shoulders and there is no nudity. Several tense moments.

Review:

"Passengers" biggest release was 125 theaters. That's not much... not much at all. However, once it hit video stores, I was eager to pick it up and give it a shot. After all, I love suspense, thrillers and Anne Hathaway...

In Short:

Anne Hathaway stars as Claire Summers, a professional psychiatrist who is designated the task of helping the lone survivors of a tragic plane crash. But when their accounts of the crash differ, and one by one, they start to disappear, Claire knows that something is going on. The final result? Well, I couldn't give away the shocking twist ending that wraps everything up. Overall, "Passengers" was not exactly a thriller, but rather a mixture of mystery, romance, and drama. It's a very satisfying combination, and left me with a lot to think about.

In Full:

"Passengers" begins with a very quick plane crash, that then cuts to the shore, with the wreckage and surviving passengers wandering around. From there, we meet Claire Summers, a professional psychiatrist who is assigned to help the remaining survivors cope with the tragedy. One of the survivors, Harry, is reluctant to come to the group sessions, and rather invites Claire over to his house for a session. From there, the two soon begin a fragile relationship that soon grows into a romance. But, when the survivors begin to disappear one by one, Claire predicts a conspiracy and major cover-up going on. I can't tell you anymore without giving away the major twist ending, but I can tell you that this intricate plot kept me guessing and my eyes glued to the screen from beginning to end.

The acting was phenomenal. I have always enjoyed Anne Hathaway, ever since her remarkable performance in "Rachel Getting Married." Here, she plays quite a different character, and she accomplishes it wonderfully. Playing a lonely and secluded doctor who slowly learns to open up is a difficult job, and I found her performance to be quite strong. Patrick Wilson stars as Harry, and together, they create great chemistry. Whenever they're on screen together, they just seem to click. The rest of the cast includes Andre Baugher and Dianne Wiest, who also turn in solid performances.

And though this film was a lower budget film, it was very hard for to tell. The only noticeable visual worth commenting on was the plane crash, and though it wasn't the most realistic one I had seen, it worked. What I found even better was the gorgeous scenery. This film was shot in Canada, and the whole atmosphere remained very misty, rainy and mysterious. It fit the film perfectly, and I couldn't think of a better place they could've shot the film.

What I didn't like, however, was some minor let downs in the film. There were several moments where I was sure something was going to happen, and it simply didn't. There seemed to be moments that promised suspense, and stopped right before achieving that suspense. It brought you to the edge of your seat and then immediately told you to sit back and relax. Though some parts in the film were intense and quite suspenseful, several moments were let downs for me.

Anne Hathaway deserved the Oscar for her performance in "Rachel Getting Married." Now, I wasn't expecting that type of work from her in "Passengers," but she gave me enough reason to watch the film. Though I expected more of a thriller, I was content with its outcome of occasional suspense, mystery, romance, and drama. It was very intense and parts, and very touching at others. It left me guessing until the end, my eyes always locked on the screen, and it never really seemed to bore me, even though several scenes left me wanting more. In the end, "Passengers" ended up being a satisfying combination of "Just Like Heave," "The Forgotten," and "The Sixth Sense."