What promised to be the next “Gone Girl” comes out short, much like its contriving source material and lacking the edge of the seat factor, but nevertheless still derives a good psychological thriller turnout to savour with.
“The Girl on the Train” is a film adaptation of the novel of same title by Paula Hawkins, which focuses on the perspective of relationships from three seemingly unrelated women. Rachel (Emily Blunt) is devastated by her recent divorce with Tom (Justin Theroux). She spends her time on her daily train ride fantasizing about the life of a perfect couple, living in this one particular house located beside the track. The daily trippy ride turns ugly when one morning, she sees something shocking.
It turns out the seemingly happy couple is a farce. The woman, Megan (Haley Bennett) is seem to be having an affair with another man. That enrages her. But on the next day, Rachel wakes up with a horrible hangover, various wounds and bruises, and no memory of the night before. Rachel tries to inform the authority and the woman’s control freak husband Scott (Luke Evans) after learning that Megan is now missing. She becomes fixated to the case, but her alcoholic reliance and abusive behavior casts a lot of suspicions about her involvement.
Tate Taylor (“The Help”) adapts “The Girl on the Train” from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson, injects this mystery- bound thriller into something quite similar in theme with David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” – in terms of love, infidelity, abuse and desire. Although both features share a similar gut-wrenching and psychological crime perplexity, it does not help that the nature of the story is actually different from what we initially thought, so it makes sense for me to cease any comparison with “Gone Girl”. After all, this movie has a lot of ingredients to stand on its own.
Standing on its own, this multi-faceted thriller offers a large mystery wrap, but it goes down a little untidy on its editing and camerawork. Wilson’s screenplay is not exactly provocative but it bounds to have some mechanic works to run the story in aptitude way. The story employs great deal of flashbacks, that even while are gripping but also offer less breath of air in between the timeline jump. The mystery is staged on the right depth, but it offers less psychotic and twisted upon its convoluted plots to allow me to be at the edge of my seat. The revelations are not that difficult to apprehend. Luckily, these whole package does not mean you will be getting away with a bad film experience, just a tad different, and it is actually enjoyable.
Much of the positives in this movie has to be coming from a stellar range of caliber cast, one in particular an inept show of emotionally vulnerable women. Emily Blunt is slowly becoming a household name following her excellent performance in “Sicario”. In this, she shines and she offers an attracting character story that balances her dark emotional baggage with a justifiable desire. But perhaps if the movie could have been better, she might have a shot on the Oscar nominations at least. Haley Bennett is certainly on a rise, as she is amazing once again following the success in the recent remake “The Magnificent Seven”.
“The Girl on the Train” could have been a better movie if it was done on the right tools. Nevertheless, with the stellar performance from Emily Blunt and some critical decisive moments to its merit, “The Girl on the Train” is still a worthy and solid thriller. Rating: B (3.5/5.0)
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It turns out the seemingly happy couple is a farce. The woman, Megan (Haley Bennett) is seem to be having an affair with another man. That enrages her. But on the next day, Rachel wakes up with a horrible hangover, various wounds and bruises, and no memory of the night before. Rachel tries to inform the authority and the woman’s control freak husband Scott (Luke Evans) after learning that Megan is now missing. She becomes fixated to the case, but her alcoholic reliance and abusive behavior casts a lot of suspicions about her involvement.
Tate Taylor (“The Help”) adapts “The Girl on the Train” from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson, injects this mystery- bound thriller into something quite similar in theme with David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” – in terms of love, infidelity, abuse and desire. Although both features share a similar gut-wrenching and psychological crime perplexity, it does not help that the nature of the story is actually different from what we initially thought, so it makes sense for me to cease any comparison with “Gone Girl”. After all, this movie has a lot of ingredients to stand on its own.
Much of the positives in this movie has to be coming from a stellar range of caliber cast, one in particular an inept show of emotionally vulnerable women. Emily Blunt is slowly becoming a household name following her excellent performance in “Sicario”. In this, she shines and she offers an attracting character story that balances her dark emotional baggage with a justifiable desire. But perhaps if the movie could have been better, she might have a shot on the Oscar nominations at least. Haley Bennett is certainly on a rise, as she is amazing once again following the success in the recent remake “The Magnificent Seven”.
“The Girl on the Train” could have been a better movie if it was done on the right tools. Nevertheless, with the stellar performance from Emily Blunt and some critical decisive moments to its merit, “The Girl on the Train” is still a worthy and solid thriller. Rating: B (3.5/5.0)
Info Dashboard:
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
Casts: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez
Distributor: Universal Pictures (DreamWorks)
Director: Tate Taylor
Screenplay: Erin Cressida Wilson
Rating: 18
Release date: 6 October 2016
Running time: 112 minutes
Casts: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez
Distributor: Universal Pictures (DreamWorks)
Director: Tate Taylor
Screenplay: Erin Cressida Wilson
Rating: 18
Release date: 6 October 2016
Running time: 112 minutes