In Review "The Girl on the Train"

The Girl on the Train beautifully captures the way impeccability tends to hover just above the surface. Slowly, as each piece comes together, the twisting plot unravels to portray a disturbing story of love, lust and abuse.The heroine of the movie, Rachel (played by Emily Blunt), is an alcoholic and an emotionally damaged woman whose memories are frequently taken from her by blackouts. She is not the most reliable narrator, which is why parts of the movie are told from the perspective of Megan (played by Haley Bennet), a woman with a seductive yet tragic life.Rachel watches Megan and her husband’s “flawless” relationship, almost everyday when she passes by their house on the train. She fantasizes about them endlessly, after her own marriage ended horribly. When Megan is reported missing, Rachel realizes she had caught a glimpse of her the day she disappeared. Regardless of her heavy drinking, Rachel desperately tries to uncover the mystery and we get our clues nonetheless—but not necessarily in chronological order.Director Tate Taylor takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of suspense by choosing to have the recollection of memory guide the story’s way. Unfortunately, despite the creative storytelling, it is a ride that at times I would have liked to have gotten off of.The entire hour and 52 minutes of the movie drained my energy with the depressing nature of the characters. The idea of being trapped in a life you do not enjoy combined with the elements of substance abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse, create a deeply unsettling feeling.Even when there is a clear understanding of force and displeasure, there is still an eerie sense of attractiveness and desire brought on by the beauty of the characters and the scenery that may not have been intended. Sex is continuously represented as an escape from real life and a domain of longing for more. The woman in the film are portrayed as weak and powerless, compared to the men who take and hold great power over them.The Girl on the Train is more artistic than entertaining. It can be appreciated by some, but also may be upsetting to others. It is definitely an intense film that touches on a bitter reality of hardship.