The Girl on the Train
Having rather enjoyed the book, I was interested in how it would be adapted for the big screen. Sad to say, the movie version didn’t quite work for me, the primary reason being that it’s much easier to depict an unreliable narrator on paper than on the screen. The scenes showing Rachel’s alcoholism and memory loss tend to slow down the pace of the movie somewhat. There’s a disconnect in the scenes she misremembers – I would have thought it would make more sense to have them shown from Rachel’s eyes and perspective, and not have the audience looking from the outside in. (I’m no film buff, so I don’t know what the technical terms are here!) I did, however, feel that the film was excellently cast, particularly with Haley Bennett, who plays the role of the luminous, conflicted Megan Hipwell. It was also a very faithful adaptation, barring the change in setting from London to New York.
(Hannah Atkins)
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