Direction: Tate Taylor; Cast: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans; Story based on the novel by Paula Hawkins with the same title; Screenplay: Erin Cressida Wilson; Cinematography: Charlotte Christensen; Editing: Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland; Music: Danny Elfman; Producers: Marc Platt; Genre: Mystery; Location: New York; Distributed :Universal Pictures Running Time: 112 minutes;
Technical assessment: 3.5
Moral assessment: 2
CINEMA rating: V18
MTRCB rating: R16
Rachel (Blunt) has turned to alcohol after she learns she is sterile. She has frequent blackout which, according to her husband Tom (Theroux), brings out a destructive monster in her. She believes that these caused Tom to cheat on her with his real estate agent Anna Boyd (Ferguson) and eventually divorce her. Rachel aimlessly spends her day riding a train that passes by their old house. As she looks through the train window, she fantasizes of a perfect marriage represented by Tom’s neighbor Megan (Bennett) and Scott (Evans). Her illusion is shattered when she witnesses what seems to be a betrayal of Megan and ultimately leads her to confront her own pain. In reality however, Scott is aggressive and controlling while Megan is detached and unfaithful. But the bigger secret is revealed when Megan mysteriously disappears and Rachel struggles to find out the truth behind the crime and about her marriage.
The Girl on the Train is an adaptation of Paula Hawkin’s book with the same title. While movie’s narrative explores the struggles of motherhood and a scorn woman’s pain, it remains hollow and stereotyped. Weaving through time achieves a sense of mystery as realities unfold, the shallowness of characters make it quite predictable. Theroux’s Tom was a giveaway and Bennett’s Megan was too well polished to be relatable. However, Blunt pulls through and delivers a profoundly multi-faceted performance. Editing is well paced and pieces a seamless storyline told from three perspectives in distorted timelines. Production design and other artistic components are well placed, neither takes away or adds any other value other than being part of the narrative’s text. While director Tate Taylor constantly fills the screen with close ups and tight shots, the claustrophobia does not deliver enough mystery or tension. The film’s first half is a bit too confusing and the second half a bit too obvious for it to rank among the must-see book-turned-film genre.
The Girl on the Train paints a portrait of broken marriages, domestic abuse, promiscuity, deception, substance abuse, and violence. Even for the more mature viewer, this might not be the best choice for a weekend entertainment because while it poses to explore the struggles of wives who are abused physically and emotionally, it negates to make a stand against the abusive husbands and stereotyping of society. It justifies alcoholism and promiscuity with marital and motherhood issues. The final act moves from self defense to vengeance yet is presented in a manner that satiates one's lust for violence as manifested by the low chuckles as the reaction of majority of the viewers. This final scene makes an immoral statement, and confuses with justified self defense, making it more dangerous. A certain degree of maturity and grounding in morality is needed to be able process the theme, particularly the way by which the conflict is resolved.
