Passengers (DVD, 2009)

This film directed by Rodrigo Garcia and written by Ronnie Christensen, seems to be a simple film where the airlines has appointed Claire (Anne Hathaway) to counsel the survivors of a plane crash. We are introduced to Eric (Patrick Wilson as a primary candidate for therapy, since his motives in life have completely changed. Other faces known and know by Clair keep coming around as she tries to discern the differences in each patience's story and whether there memories are at all intact after the initial crash. A man named Arkin (David Morse) seems to be involved with the airline, but tell us little about the accident itself. Claire's good friend Andre Braugher also appears to through in his two cents. All the time Eric seems determined to bring Clair to spiritual and loving understanding of his need to love her as she tries to psychoanalyze him. They finally come to a realization that things are not what the seem. The father of Clair (William B. Davis) shows up as well who was supposed to have already passed into afterlife earlier. There is also Jack (William B. Davis) and Norman (Don Thompson)

After a plane crash, a young therapist, Claire, is assigned by her mentor to counsel the flight's five survivors. When they share their recollections of the incident -- which some say include an explosion that the airline claims never happened -- Claire is intrigued by Eric, the most secretive of the passengers. Just as Claire's professional relationship with Eric despite her better judgment, blossoms into a romance, the survivors begin to disappear mysteriously, one by one. Claire suspects that Eric may hold all the answers & becomes determined to uncover the truth, no matter the consequences.

Passengers concentrates on character development and primarily on Claire Summer (Anne Hathaway), a therapist who suspects she's discovered a cover-up while treating the survivors of an airplane crash, but also deals with her awakening to the reality that she's sacrificed too much personal life for her career. Her loneliness is as important to this movie as the mystery she's trying to unravel.

I liked Hathaway in this role. I wouldn't normally have thought of her as playing the part of a professional woman with two Masters degrees, as she usually conveys beauty and warmth instead of intellect. However, she's portraying a young academic on her first real-world case and she's convincing when she spouts the predictable, psychobabble an inexperienced therapist would likely spout. I also liked her relationship with her mentor Perry (Andre Braugher). The only weakness in the film might be insufficient scenes exploring her loneliness. It's the reason she gets involved with Eric (Patrick Wilson) but it should have been set up better. I'm not sure we're entirely convinced she would have gotten involved with him. Her isolation from family and friends should have been developed more. The actors' performances were simple, cozy & intimate. Anne Hathaway is a breath of fresh air. Having her in the cast was certainly the masterstroke from the director. She fits that role to perfection.

It is not a fast paced drama, nor a deep psychological warfare with your neurons but it is a bumpy emotional ride. The story would probably suit a book better than a film because it would be easier to describe the turmoil inside each character's head, and this is where Hathaway's character come in handy to try to extract those feelings from her patients for unravel to the end.

Features Actors:Anne Hathaway,Patrick Wilson,David Morse,Dianne Wiest
Running Time:93 min.
Rating:PG-13
Category:psychological thriller.

Anne Hathaway is Claire in Passengers, a nervous young shrink and driven workaholic, who is assigned the formidable task of conducting group therapy sessions with the surviving victims of a recent plane crash. Among her patients is Eric (Patrick Wilson), an inappropriately cheery corporate executive who decides to leave ambition behind after his near death experience, and live a simple creative life as a painter insetad. He also mocks Claire's attempts to psychoanalyze him and maintain rigid professional distance, while clearly trying to hit on her and seduce her into surrendering to his playful charms.
At the same time, the survivors start disappearing one by one, or wander around in a dazed state, as officials from the airplane company stalk them all in murky shadows. And who may or may not be trying to cover up engine defects that caused the crash, and that if discovered would put the company out of business.

Passengers combines pungent, eerie atmosphere with its many moments of chilling when not outright bizarre happenings.Hope this helps you decide.Thanks for reading! :)

I'd like to start off by saying I began watching this movie with a little suspicion, because I checked the ratings here and they weren't really high.

Well, my suspicion wasn't necessary. This movie isn't all about action, explosions and that sort of things. What is does have is a heart, it shows the bond between people and it explains why that bond takes place. Just not in a corny way, this is more of a mix between real-life personalities, suspension, and a big plot-twist at the end kind of like Hitchcock did back in the days. Just not that elaborate. Some comments on this movie say that it lacks originality, but what movie doesn't do that these days ? Almost everything has already been done over and over again.

As concerns the quality of acting, it's just good. Nothing more but certainly nothing less. It's nice to see Anne Hathaway play a different sort of role, besides comedy. Her co-star Patrick Wilson also performs on a high wire. Andre Braugher and David Morse are good at supporting roles and thats is simply what they did in this one. You can't say that the acting wasn't good, therefore I feel sorry that it hasn't been properly promoted because it would have had some potential to getting to be a popular movie.

Conclusion: Like I said in the beginning, it's good, just not a masterpiece. I suggest you watch it and go with the flow, you won't regret it.

Just watched this movie and I must say *I love it* Though in the beginning I was totally lost as to what was going on near the end of the movie I was very surprised as this is a true mystery movie. If you love life after death movies this is one to surely please you!

I wasn't too enthused with this movie. It left me feeling a bit disappointed. I usually love any movie with Anne Hathaway in it, but I guess since this wasn't a comedy, it left me kind of flat.