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Lame adaptation of the best-selling novel falls flat on screen.
Is it worth $10? No
Here’s the biggest problem with Rachel (Emily Blunt), a head case alcoholic stalker, as the protagonist of “The Girl On The Train”: We can’t trust her. She’s an emotional wreck who makes a habit of drinking to the point of blacking out and waking the next morning with no memory of the night before. As the story progresses and she embarks on a journey to find the whereabouts of a missing woman, we can never believe her discoveries because nothing about her is trustworthy. And if you can’t believe anything you’re watching for 112 minutes, you will not emotionally invest in the movie.
Rachel’s a sad case. Her ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux) left her after she couldn’t conceive and quickly shacked up with Anna (Rebecca Ferguson). That was two years ago – Tom and Anna now have a baby. Rachel, in full stalker mode, rides a train past their home every day, and is also intrigued by a couple named Megan (Haley Bennett) and Scott (Luke Evans) who live a few doors down. Rachel views them as a loving, perfect couple for whom she imagines a world of happiness.
Rachel is a tough part for any actress, and Blunt does what she can with a role that’s designed to be an absolute mess. The only acting standout here, though, is Bennett, who handles the duplicity and dissatisfaction of Megan remarkably well. Bennett has been around for years in small supporting roles (including “The Magnificent Seven,” in theaters now), so this could be the breakout performance she’s been waiting for.
Of course, if no one goes to the movie it will all be for naught. Some have called “The Girl On The Train” this year’s “Gone Girl,” and though there are some similarities “Train” is nowhere near the film “Gone Girl” was. That’s fine – not many movies are. But to be so far away from genuine quality that you can barely hold an audience, that’s not good at all.
Did you know?
Hawkins’ novel has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide; it is set in England, whereas the movie is set in New York City and Westchester County, New York.