The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train exists as one of the many books I've read before I saw the movie. The novel itself is a decently well written thriller than twists and turns, but feels a little cheap in its execution because of all the knowledge it keeps from you. 

That's similar to Gone Girl, but that novel was able to achieve it so superbly (and really in one large rug pull) that it was tremendous as you read it. Girl on the Train (novel version) wants very badly to be Gone Girl (novel version) and it's a worthwhile attempt that is a solid read. 

Factor in the fact that Gone Girl the film is even better than the novel -- thanks to terrific direction, performances, and original score -- and it seems as if the cards are quite stacked against The Girl on the Train (movie version). Can it be better than its novel? Can it be better than Gone Girl's film adaptation?

Sadly, I have to report that the answer is "no" to both of those inquiries. The Girl on the Train is a bit of a forgettable adaptation of the memorable novel and one where its glaringly clear that the organization and structure of the written pages doesn't translate all that well onto the silver screen. They're different mediums, obviously, and I think that some extra care should have been taken to restructure the screenplay to achieve the same results as the book. 

Luckily though, The Girl on the Train is "saved" by some absolutely rock star performances, including another stellar one for Emily Blunt to add to her filmography. 

I mean...if this was on my
train commute, I'd stare too

Where Girl on the Train struggles the most is involving the viewer. It feels like a film that purposefully wants to keep the viewer at arm's length, feeding them only annoying tidbits of information at a time and eventually circling back to explain them. At times this can work, particularly if your audience is invested in the characters, but in this instance, I didn't feel super connected to this group of rather terrible characters even though I may have been interested to see how the plot played out. When I say terrible characters, I mean more so of their personalities/internal struggles rather than the way they're portrayed on screen. Girl on the Train is a thriller with a lot of sad, depressing people in it -- one's whose mood bleeds into everything from the script, the scenery, the music, etc. It's certainly not a feel good film, which is fine, I just wish that it would have taken efforts to apply itself to the medium a little more as it may have resulted in its tricks being a little more successful.  In addition, and of similar nature, there are a lot of weird things the film has its characters do that, while they may have seemed normal as words on a page, are very off center in live action. Case in point: a nearly nude couple basically rounding first base on their porch in full view of a commuter train. 

If you haven't seen Theroux in The Leftovers yet,
you should probably rectify that ASAP

As I mentioned previously however, Girl on the Train features some fantastic performances that beef it up from a very average film to a "good-if-not-forgettable" one. Emily Blunt gives one of the best performances I've seen thus far in 2016 as depressed alcoholic, Rachel. She's required to act out-of-sorts for the majority of the film and her ability to tap into emotions and unhinge is impressive. Haley Bennett is talented as well, even if her character is given some weird stuff to do. She's a very disconnected person and the way she perceives life and love is odd, portrayed well by her. The males, Luke Evans and Justin Theroux, also bring some decent performances to the flick, though once you've seen Theroux in The Leftovers (HBO show), his performance here seems like a walk in the park for him. 

On the technical side, The Girl on the Train is unimpressive. It tries too hard to make its cinematography meaningful, resulting in only a handful of memorable images. Even more disappointing, especially after Gone Girl's was so damn good, is the lack of any sort of memorable original score. I feel like for a thriller like this, that's almost a necessity, and Girl on Train's could not have been more forgettable. Or maybe it could have...I don't remember (see what I did there?). 

You should never face backward when you ride a train!
You're sure to vomit!

I was really hoping that Girl on the Train could have taken its star power and strong ground material to result in one of those few instances where the film is better than the novel. Unfortunately, it is a little too casual in its approach resulting in a film that isn't always translated successfully from the pages. 

CONS:

• Characters do some really odd things. It may have been normal-ish in the book, but doesn't translate well into the film
• Complete lack of a memorable original score. Huge miss there
• Keeps facts and details from the viewer, annoyingly handing out tidbits here and there
• Doesn't connect very well with the audience, making this cast of horrible characters even harder to care about
• Unmemorable cinematography

PROS:

• Powerhouse performance by Blunt. It's one of the best of the year, even if the film itself is not
• Great performances all around by other main cast members
• Keeps moving at a quick pace...never feels like its dragging its feet
• If you can keep up with the over complicated plot, it's actually some pretty strong base material and the twists and turns can be fun

Rath's Review Score | 6.5/10