Review of The Girl on the Train (2016) by Naomi F — 26 Oct 2016

Engrossed. Involved. Gripped. Those were the emotions I experienced in no particular order whilst reading the bestseller 'The Girl On The Train'. A clever psychological thriller with a murder mystery thrown in for good measure, three women's furtive, flawed lives are interwoven and shown through their narratives before finally coming together in an explosive finale. Sitting on the train to work, I too was taken along the slippery twists and turns, felt the intricate character portrayal deeply, experienced the raw emotion and ultimate surprise at the ending.

Disappointed. Incredulous. Annoyed. Those were the emotions I experienced in no particular order whilst watching the movie adaptation. Firstly, the British setting which had given the book so much character had been removed, replaced with a bland Hollywood subarbia. Funnily, the only British element remaining was in the main character Rachel's accent, who also thanks to Hollywood, is not overweight and unattractive, as described in the book! However, Emily Blunt retains some of the books authenticity through her superb acting skills in her role as Rachel, playing the part of the heartbroken, flawed drunk to perfection. The post break up disorientation, self loathing, longing, anger, pain. She conveyed that in so many ways and I'm sure that so many can identify with those tortured feelings. She drinks to escape the darkness, she lets it own her completely and perhaps those heartbroken might envy her for that. Her anxiety that somehow everything was her fault and she has to say sorry constantly is also very identifiable. How often, in unhealthy relationships do we feel like we are to blame, that somehow we are the only ones who need to say sorry? The realisation, later on that in fact this is not the case is empowering and uplifting and we rejoice anew with Rachel in her own discovery. Haley Bennett, who played Megan played the part of the bored sex goddess well, but was lacking some major personality. I didn't connect at all with her as a character and found her vulnerability very put on and forced, whereas the full extent of her damaged character is portrayed well in the book, where she isn't just having constant sex.

I was also disappointed that we didn't get to see more of her fragile relationship with Mac and Scott, explored in more detail in the book. Ironically, Anna is the only character in the book who is portrayed accurately, as the bored subarbia housewife who has now lost her sparkle and appeal. Rachel's friend Cathy makes brief appearances in the movie but seems to come and go, a fleeting character, rather than the instrumental supportive friend she is shown to be in the book. Overall, I was hugely disappointed as the whole film seems to have painted a glossy Hollywood makeover and the edgy rawness present in the book is replaced with predictability. There are little heartstopping moments, in fact when another friend who hadn't read the book saw the trailer, she sussed out the villain straight away, which made her lose interest in seeing it. Moreover, the back and forth narratives of the women seem like whiny confessionals in the movie, rather than meaningful chains and links which lock the viewer in suspense. All in all, the movie tries too hard to seem sexy and dark, and all this girl wanted to do was get off at the next stop.