Movie Review: The Girl on the Train

I honestly don't know why anyone would think that dubbing "The Girl on the Train" as the next "Gone Girl" was a good idea. Was it because they were both book to movie adaptations that depicted the deep dark secrets of modern marriages? Or was it because they both had "Girl" in the title? Apples and oranges really. 

While comparing and contrasting both movies for the sake of discussion is always a good exercise, some may have certain expectations and if these expectations are not met then there are disappointments. I'm not saying that "The Girl on the Train" was a disappointment; i actually enjoyed the movie adaptation. It's not perfect but a lot of elements were added to bring the story to life. I've always been a "lets' just enjoy the movies/books" kind of critic :P

Probably my favorite part of the film is Emily Blunt's performance of Rachel, a middle-aged alcoholic who is not taking her recent divorce too well and the fact that her (ex) husband's former mistress (now legal wife) Anna (played by Rebecca Ferguson) just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, just adds salt to injury. 

Blunt is powerful in her performance and a force to be reckoned with. She portrays a drunk Rachel with such tenacity, the rubbed out mascara, clumsy footwork (its pretty hilarious actually) and even the slurred speech and glassy stare are spot on. 

Though I would have loved to have seen more anguish from the (SPOILER ALERT) difficulty in conceiving that Rachel had to struggle with. There's a line in the book that goes (I remember even posting this on Social Media) 

"let's be honest, women are still only really valued for two things, their looks and their roles as mothers" 

and I felt that the movie could have expounded more on that. 

  

I would have to commend Hayley Bennet for taking on the role of Megan Hipwell, it did not only require guts but a sexy body, as audiences get "more than just a glimpse" of the "mistress of reinvention", oh the film is R16 by the way, with nudity and sex, uhhh not the kind of sex where they tumble into bed and the scene fades into black but you know, sex, sex, so you might want to watch this with someone (or people) you are comfortable with. 

Anyways going back to Hayley Bennet, I feel that the movie was able to portray this sad, wild girl (with a lot of baggage) effectively. Meagan is arguably the most hated or pitied female character in recent literary history and taking her on was surely a challenge for Bennet and yet she pulled it off rather well if I do say so myself. Kudos to these ladies for bringing their A game in the movie. 

Gone Girl's "Amazing Amy" may be cunning and calculating with her next ten moves already planned out but Rachel, Megan and (yes, even Anna) are everyday women, facing the same struggles and conflicts like some women do and I think that's what makes them real. We all think that we'd have that perfect life but life (as it is) deals us with shitty cards and we just have to roll with the punches and move on. I feel sorry for these characters, actually. They are tragic women trapped in the suburban nightmare and loveless marriages they thought was their dream.   

There were some parts in the film that was a bit dragging, that's the same in the book actually, it can't be help though since the sequence was a flashback, back to the present kind of presentation, in order to keep the big surprise of course. 

Some footage also felt over used, I guess it can't be helped if you're a drunkard trying to remember a night when you were totally wasted. There were some camera tricks that I enjoyed. 

7 out of 10. "The Girl on the Train" brings real characters with real struggles from the page to the screen. The captivating performance from Blunt and Bennet brings these characters, which before were just names in a book to life. Slightly dragging with some overused footage that will make you check the time. There are gasps and laughs at appropriate scenes and that just goes to show that an audience is invested in the story and the characters.  

Get on board with "The Girl on the Train". Now showing in cinemas! Rated R16.

Read my book  review on  "The Girl on the Train" here.

Photo Credits: United International Pictures.