«The Passenger»: an air of déjà-vu

Cinema Wednesdays - Nicolas Jutzet

The film opens with a glimpse into the life of an average American family, with its daily routine. Problems with the kids, the subway-work-sleep routine. The typical commuter, with his habits, his acquaintances on the train. The lead actor is the very embodiment of the American dream. He's the Irishman who came to the USA to build a career and feed his family, also formed on the continent. «The American dream», without falling into clichés. The emphasis is on hard work, values and humility. Everything rolls, everything unfolds.

And suddenly, the tipping point

This dream life—or at least this journey of conquest—will have to face a wall and even scale it. That wall takes the form of the dismissal of the aging and expensive Michael MacCauley, played by Liam Neeson. This marks the beginning of a much less idyllic and logical sequence of events. From there on, the film slips into the irrational. First of all, the model husband who used to discuss everything with his wife refuses to talk to her about getting fired. He’d rather forget about it by downing beers in a seedy bar with a former coworker. Out of nowhere. For no real reason. In short, from that point on, the film loses its charm. Yet, paradoxically, its pace picks up.

Michael eventually takes the subway back home. He receives an anonymous call offering him a mission in exchange for money. The mission forms the rest of the film. It’s the mystery, the central thread. The central element—but the whole thing is so over-the-top that the initial excitement quickly fades, replaced by boredom and sighs.

Ultimately, the plot is predictable, surprises no one, and grows tiresome with its incessant repetitions—and its exaggerations. In an attempt to liven up his film, the director has drowned it. Too much back-and-forth between the cars of this dilapidated subway, too many illogical and implausible scenes—so far-fetched they defy belief—end up annoying the viewer. Everything is too over-the-top, everything is too easy, and everything is predictable. The characters are caricatures: the villainous banker, the foreign nurse, the abandoned child. It has it all; there’s not much to like. And of course, everything ends happily. Even that falls flat. Despite a certainly interesting cast and a lead actor who is very comfortable in his role, the overall result leaves much to be desired.

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Photo credit: © Impuls Pictures