REVIEW: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

3.5/5

Gone Girl, Interrupted.

112 Minutes. Starring: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow & Allison Janney. Director: Tate Taylor.

London's calling goes up in Big Smoke, with 'The Help' of that very films director Tate Taylor, who changes the lines of Paula Hawkins' 'Gone Girl' like modern, bestseller revolution, quickly turned movie adaptation 'The Girl On The Train' from foggy old England to the New York suburbs, express faster than the time it takes to read Hawkins novel en route. One digestable read so impossible to put down you may just miss your stop. To put it bluntly that doesn't do the source material much justice for a myriad of reasons. But great Brit born Emily does. As Taylor makes the most of a female led cast again in a signal failing Hollywood with his taught thriller of the year. Shot somewhere between David Fincher's "safe" as suburbia take on Gillian Flynn's 'Girl' and the dark places of a sinister Sunday matinee movie, Winter coat cloaked in murder and scarf strangeld mystery. Set in a brut-iful back-drop of a forlorn fall so frosty it could hide and enbalm a body. This is 'Rear Window' for that stranger on the train. Hitch-cocked and classic material loaded, people watching had never been so deadly. This look of a nuclear family to be gone toxic and it's girl so gone off embittered booze is one you just have to catch. Get on board this train, even if you are left feeling the tracks.

Ready for departure? Stand clear of the Gwyneth Paltrow like 'Sliding Doors', 30 seconds before as neglectful narrators fill three carriages and acts of this films story just like they did chapters. This 'Girl On The Train' moves slowly out the gate like the first train of the day out of the platform. Only to rush past subplots like stops on an express at rush hour. Sure sometimes this slow affair can drag like pulling out recycling bins on a January morning collection day, but the payoff is all green. Tate's modern gem follows the one time he turned the Black Panther into James Brown as he would 'Get On Up' with Chadwick Boseman, one of today's brightest and best. Here bringing the best out of Blunt like he aided the A is for Academy list development of Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and her lookalike Bryce Dallas Howard...easily some of today's top ten actresses. Baring the brunt of all this, top five belonging Emily Blunt is blisteringly good in what just may be 'The Adjusment Bureau' stars signature role...and we thought last years best 'Sicario' was strong to say the least. Breaking down an unstoppable, portable derailment of a character, Emily envokes emptiness and empathy. Taking the morning train and its lonely line all the way to a job that ticketed her a pink slip 365 days worth of journeys ago. On the edge of a bottle, forget tomorrow. Now nursing a hangover and a Vodka mixed into her mineral water gym flask turned something akin to a childs sippy cup, this actress plays alcoholic with anxiety and angst riddled aplomb. Aggravated to the social standpoint of no return. Her script slurred. Her handbag a hotel mini-bar. The Hollywood beautiful Emily by way of London looks booze blotchy here. One woman in the mirror, carriage cubicle self-confession, bathroom bottle break lets actress see the eyes of her characters booze bruised soul. And it reflects and shows just how great an actor she truly is. Hardwired with crows feet and bloody Mary shot eyes, Blunt has never looked better.

Now you don't know her. But she knows everyone else here from the vantage point of a locomotive looking at her old house in the middle of the street. All she needs right now is a pair of bincoculars and a restraining order. The furthest one being from an unrecognisable Rebecca Ferguson who like Blunt has starred alongside Tom Cruise of late. Last Summer going rogue and taking the nation by storm in the latest 'Mission Impossible'. Add blonde on blonde lookalike Haley Bennett who also looks a lot like Jennifer Lawrence in Tate Taylor's 'Winters Bone', for truly a girl on fire. Setting her future fame alight following her eighth wonder with Denzel and his seven men. Bennett is magnificent. In this jilted lovers letter reply to 'Gone Girl' the male characters are demonized to the white collar tip of hells angels in suit and ties instead of bike leathers, despite the grown girls here trying to make halos out of tiaras. HBO 'Leftover' and Mr. Aniston, Justin Theroux is just a thoroughbred sleaze here. Whilst jacked up, 'Dracula' star Luke Evans is sucking the life out of the weight room and the living one. Bordering on emotional and domestic violence, Evans doesnt abuse his acting ability for a second or syllable. Hold the applause. Here comes the acclaim. All the love triangles going on between these squares are shrink wrapped together by rising character actor Edgar Ramirez. The 'Point Break' remake star plays a psychiatrist who is everyones unnatural breaking point. If that wasn't enough two small-screen starlets help bring this book to the blockbuster big one. 'The West Wing' star Allison Janney is all law in this disorder, going by the script as a no b.s. D.I. on the case. Truly by the chapters after bookmarking Tate's last two biopics with more supporting character. And yes that is Phoeobe herself Lisa Kudrow sitting across the way on the train. That's no Ursula...Regina Falange maybe! All in all you may not find any seats left but 'The Girl On The Train' is just the ticket. You don't want to miss it. Just make sure you stay on the right side of the tracks. TIM DAVID HARVEY.