By Brett Blake
The Halloween Season is once again in full swing, so we took it upon ourselves to tackle a subject that has been the basis for a lot of online discussion recently: what are the best horror films of this century? Anything from the year 2000 up through 2016 is up for grabs! Breanne Brennan and Brenton Thom, my usual conspirators, join me for a lively, brisk conversation about all this (and a bit more). It’s interesting to see where our tastes overlap, and where they diverge!
Disclaimer: The Cinematic Confab is a non-profit entertainment and analysis podcast. All audio clips and music cues used are the property of their individual copyright holders. They are presented here under the banner of “Fair Use,” for the purpose of analysis, criticism, and/or humor. No infringement of copyright is intended.
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By Brett Blake Sometimes we really have to tell it like it is. Despite attempts to appear otherwise, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is strictly B-movie fare, a salacious and provocative thriller that satisfies on a couple of basic levels, but never really rises to the prestigious level it appears to strive for. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, the narrative principally concerns Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), a troubled - to say the least - woman who passes time on her daily train commutes by becoming fixated on a young woman she frequently sees while riding by. What Rachel doesn’t know is that this young woman, Megan (Haley Bennett), is also the nanny for Rachel’s ex-husband (Justin Theroux) and his wife, Anna (Rebecca Ferguson). When Megan goes missing, and after an alcohol-fueled blackout episode on Rachel’s part, Rachel not only begins to suspect foul play in Megan’s disappearance... but also becomes a suspect herself. If that reads as confusing, I apologize, but there’s really no way to attempt to fully summarize the plot without getting into spoilery details. That said, even with the spoilery details, you’d be forgiven for thinking the story is on the convoluted, labyrinthine side... because it is. The plot contrives to intertwine the lives of three central women, and does so in ways that ultimately strain credulity at times. The central mystery itself - the question of what happened to Megan - is curiously underplayed; whether that’s something inherent to the novel or an issue with the adaptation, I can’t say, but those going into the film expecting to be blown away by unforeseen twists will likely feel that the mystery is a whole lot of fuss that doesn’t amount to a heck of a lot. That said, there are enough visceral jolts and disjointed, off-kilter atmosphere to satisfy those of us who might be less picky about intricately-plotted narratives. At the end of the day, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is basically schlock. Sure, it’s been polished up to give it an air of prestige, but let’s get real - the plot is pure, pulpy, potboiler stuff, with sex and violence thrown in for titillation value rather than story necessity. Now, I’m never one to complain about trashy material getting dressed up in “A-picture” clothes; David Fincher’s GONE GIRL, a film to which some have compared THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, is definitely packed full of trashy, vaguely-exploitationy material, but the execution of it - on a cinematic level - makes it a great, deliciously entertaining ride (and one of the best films of its year). The filmmaking of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is nowhere near that, however, so the faults and obvious pandering of the material itself becomes more nakedly apparent. This isn’t enough to sink the movie by any means (who doesn’t love a bit of schlock now and then, anyway?), but it does create a warring tension between the subject matter and the trappings which seem to be desperately screaming at you that “This is a classy movie!” It isn’t. This is sleaze. Kind of fun sleaze, certainly, but still sleaze. The one element that comes close to elevating the movie out of B-movie territory is the performance by Emily Blunt. The story’s central conceit makes a fairly big ask of the audience when it asks us to buy that Rachel becomes deeply emotionally invested in people she’s never met, and has only seen from her window seat of her daily commute. Blunt somehow manages to pull that off, and - in the process - paints a portrait of alcoholism and delusion that is engrossing, sad, and off-putting. She deserves a lot of credit for allowing herself to embody such a damaged and unflattering character, but she manages to engender the sympathies of the audience in ways that feel earned. As the other two leading ladies, Bennett and Ferguson give good performances, though they’re not particularly helped by the screenplay, which paints both of them in a fairly one-note way. They do the best they can, though, and Bennett in particular has a couple of moments that are emotionally affecting. Perhaps the other unsung hero of the movie is Danny Elfman, who has contributed one of his most un-Elfmanish musical scores. Gone are the lush orchestration and lyrical melodies, replaced here by aural textures and atmospheres. Though perhaps not the most satisfying listen on an album, his score is extremely effective within the film itself, deftly heightening and complimenting the melodramatic and tense moments. It’s a mood piece of a score, and one that feels quite fresh coming from Elfman. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is a fine little thriller, but it’s no home run, and it does make me wonder why the book became such a sensation. Either something was lost in translation, or people were ready to embrace the story’s brew of violence, sexuality, and alcohol to such a degree that those elements patched over its more pedestrian angles. Whatever the case may be, we can only judge the film itself, and I liked it... but it’s far from one of the year’s best thrillers. |
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