NEW RELEASE DVD/BluRay | 'The Girl on the Train' Film Review
Emily Blunt stars as Rachel - a divorcee who finds herself entangled in a missing persons investigation in 'The Girl on the Train' – an adaption of the popular novel by Paula Hawkins. What Rachel witnesses promises to send shockwaves throughout her entire life.
Based upon the novel that “shocked the world” due to its continuous reference to sex - if not the major driving point of the story’s events - along with extreme and bloody violence, ‘The Girl on the Train’ is a well-crafted film with room for improvement.
Though awkward and unsettling at times, the characters and the performances link well throughout, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat until the final scene. It was a faithful adaptation of the source material, especially with the appropriate casting of Blunt, whose portrayal of Rachel was a standout in this film.
Despite the story being told from the various perspectives of three unreliable narrators as it is in the novel, it essentially remains Rachel's story in the film.
If it weren’t for Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, or Hayley Bennett, the film would not have had the same, realistic and compelling effect upon its audience. The three women were perfectly cast for their respective roles, and despite the change of location from London to New York, the story remains seamlessly in its telling, despite its fragmentation that comes together as the film progresses.
The performances enhance this notion, as there is a scramble through Rachel's drunken telling of the events that occurred, and her struggle to convince those around her of her innocence.
Additionally, Allison Janney’s show of tough love as the brilliant Detective Riley undoubtedly supports the already superb cast in the film.
It is a well-scripted, suspenseful film that will captivate viewers from beginning to end; however, as it is a novel-to-film, there is definite room for improvement to be had.
'The Girl on the Train' proves that women can hold their own on screen and spearhead a film into success.
'The Girl on the Train' is available on DVD and Blu-Ray on the 25th of January 2017 in Australia, and 6th February in the U.K.
