Movie Review Madness - The Girl on the Train

I loved the book The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, and to me, the movie does an excellent job of bringing the book to life.  Emily Blunt is superb as Rachel, a boozy unreliable  narrator. She rides the train every day but is she really going to work. She can see out over her ex-house that her ex-husband (a creepy Justin Theroux) has with his new wife (Rebecca Ferguson – always good) and baby girl. Then there are the neighbors – the perfect couple that Rachel fantasize about.  Meagan (new hot It Girl Haley Bennett) ends up dead.  Say what?  How, why, and did Rachel see something?

It’s a convoluted puzzle with Allyson Janney as the detective who questions Rachel’s integrity, report, and reliability.  Throw in a therapist for Meagan – was she having an affair with him?  Cheating, hot babysitter, and so much more.  The book was intense and gave an added layer to the story. It could convey the confusion. The film does a very good job of giving us a back and forth thread – it bounces between characters and Rachel’s drunken interpretation of events.

All in all, Emily Blunt is the key to The Girl on the Train. She’s a fine actress who truly embodied the character and keeps us both hating and rooting for her. She adds a vulnerability to the written character.  I don’t think the switch from London to New York was necessary, but it worked okay. I liked this film and I do recommend reading the book too. Cover all bases