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.

Movie Review: The. Magnificent Seven

To review "The Magnificent Seven" without looking into the film's history and legacy would do it a disservice. So indulge me, dear reader as we take a look into the film's roots; by doing so we will better understand the story and significance to it's times. 

Originally a 1960 American western film, it is actually a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 "Seven Samurai", in 2013 the film was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".  

Posters of Kurosawa's 1954 "Seven Samurai" and John Sturges' 1960 remake. 

It is not uncommon for an actor to want to star in a western movie, I think western will always belong along the lines of the old Hollywood films. The 2016 take on "The Magnificent Seven" is a refreshing change from the other genres out in cinemas today. 

With a strong diverse cast of characters led by Denzel Washington, there is no dull moment on screen. I expected to see a gold old Western showdown but I'm glad that I got so much more-a second battle that was bigger and grander in scale. I especially loved that the film looked into using tactics and strategies-I'm always a big fan of those.

I would have to mention some of my favorite characters in the film, Chris Pratt's Josh Faraday was fun to watch with his quick card tricks ad gun skills, it doesn't hurt that he's super cute and charming as always. 

I was also a fan of the Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee) and Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke) tandem, probably my favorite role from Lee.

I must also commend that I loved the role and performance of the only female lead in the film. Hayley Bennet as Emma Cullen was just perfect. She is the one who seeks out "The Magnificent Seven" in order to seek revenge/redemption and to save her town. I think I'm a fan. After seeing her in "Magnificent Seven" you can catch her in "The Girl On The Train" - read more here.

I haven't seen any of the earlier versions, this 2016 take is my first encounter of the film and I really enjoyed it and it has definitely made me curious about the earlier versions. I might check them out when I have the time. 

The story has timeless themes, which can be found in any place or in any time period and with the use of new technology and filming techniques makes the 2016 version all the more exciting and an experience not to be missed in cinemas. 

There are gorgeous tracking shots that are to die for and the non-stop action and suspense will leave you wide eyed and with white knuckles, I know that was the case for me. 

8.5 out of 10, 2016's "The Magnificent Seven" brings the best of both worlds-a classic tale portrayed by talented actors and enhanced by the latest in technology and filming techniques will give you a wild, Wild West experience like no other. Like "Welcome to Marlboro country" feels and that's something I had no idea I would miss.

"The Magnificent Seven" is now showing! #Mag7

Photos credited to Columbia Pictures. 

Movies: HALEY BENNETT BREAKs FROM THE PACK WITH “MAGNIFICENT SEVEN,” “GIRL ON THE TRAIN”

A natural talent, with a striking presence, Haley Bennett is quickly establishing herself as one of Hollywood's most dynamic actresses. She is poised to become the breakthrough talent of 2016 as she stars in two highly anticipated films this season – Columbia Pictures' “The Magnificent Seven” (in cinemas Sept. 21) and “The Girl on the Train” (opens Oct. 05) from Universal Pictures.

In “The Magnificent Seven,” she plays Emma Cullen, wife of a murdered farmer, and who takes charge in finding the righteuos mercenary Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) and convincing him to defend her town from a greedy industrialist. Bennett had worked before with director Antoine Fuqua and Washington on the hit film, “The Equalizer.”

“Emma suffers a great loss and takes matters into her own hands to ensure that she stops this man, Bartholomew Bogue, from victimizing her town,” says Bennett. “Emma defies all of the stereotypes – she’s not objectified or submissive or victimized. The film is set at a time when women didn’t have equal rights, so it’s inspiring for me to portray her as complex, a person with a voice who can evoke change. That’s another way that this telling of the story is different.”

“Haley played a true character of the time,” says producer Roger Birnbaum. “If you were a man and a woman heading out West to start a new life, both individuals had to be strong people. Not that every woman or every man was strong, but I think if they weren’t, they didn’t make it. You see Emma and her husband struggling to start a life together in building this town in what had been the wilderness. So, when her husband is killed, she’s not any less strong – she taps into it and pulls on that strength to pull her through.”

The actress also received weapons and riding training to befit her character. “I think that’s a powerful image, a woman taking the bull by the horns,” she says. “Pioneer women were very tough – they had to be, because the men go off for long periods of time, and the women would have to be able to protect themselves and their homes.”

Bennett will next be seen in eagerly anticipated film adaptation of “The Girl on the Train” opposite Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux and Luke Evans. Based on the best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins, the film is about a recently divorced woman (Blunt) who becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to a young woman (Bennett) who goes missing. Universal will release the film on October 7.

She recently wrapped production on “Thank You For Your Service,” starring opposite Miles Teller, which is the directorial debut of Academy Award® nominated writer Jason Hall (“American Sniper”). The film follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they have left the battlefield.

“The Magnificent Seven” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International, while “The Girl on the Train” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.