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
