The Girl on the Train

January 15, 2017 - When a woman from her former neighborhood goes missing, Emily Blunt has a hard time remembering what happened. That doesn't stop her from doing her own investigation, though, in this adaptation of the suspense novel from Paula Hawkins. The supporting cast includes Laura Prepon, Justin Theroux, Lisa Kudrow and Allison Janney. Tate Taylor (The Help) directs.

Blunt plays Rachel Watson, the alcoholic ex-wife of Tom (Theroux). Since their divorce, Tom has gotten married to his mistress, Anna, and had a baby. Rachel has overstayed her welcome at a friend's (Prepon) house. Every day, she rides the train into New York City. The route takes her past her old house, where Tom still lives. She takes every chance to get a glimpse into his new life. She also takes note of Megan and her husband, who live a couple doors down.

One day, Megan goes missing. Rachel wakes up covered in blood. She wonders if she could have killed Megan. The police (Janney) wonder, too. Rachel can't remember, so she starts inserting herself into the people in Megan's life in an effort to find some answers.

Overall review: ** I haven't read the book, so I can't say how closely the film follows the book. As for the film itself, it's a bit of a mess. The storytelling seems convoluted, constantly alternating between the present and various points in the past. Blunt seems to have just one expression, best described as a drunken glower. And, maybe I read/watch too many police procedurals. But, Janney's detective seems to have done very little investigating except for essentially threatening Rachel with a very bleak future if she didn't remember what happened ASAP. Ultimately, there really wasn't anyone here to root for.