Derailed: Review of The Girl On The Train

The Girl On The Train

Director: Tate Taylor

By Alex Watson

Book adaptations often divide fan opinions, but in the case of Tate Taylor's adaptation of Paula Hawkins popular thriller The Girl On The Train, the cries of anguish have been loud. Many fans were upset by the unnecessary changing of the story from London to New York and by the casting of Emily Blunt who was deemed 'too beautiful' for the role by Hawkins herself. While it may not be a complete disaster, this movie drops well short of the expectations and what could have been a well-crafted thrill ride turns into a ride to nowhere.

Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) is an alcoholic divorcee who still pines for her former life with ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux). Taking the same train every day, she sees him playing happy family with the woman he left her for Anna (Rebecca Ferguson). On the same train, she observes the couple next door Scott (Luke Evans) and Megan (Haley Bennett) who to Rachel seem to like the perfect couple. When Megan goes missing and is presumed dead, Rachel takes it upon herself to find out what happened. By involving herself in her old world and invading other people's lives a dangerous path follows.

While the moving of location to New York might be one of the stronger points of The Girl On The Train it lacks the needed tension that book gave in buckets. The early train rides past her old neighborhood in upstate New York are breathtaking. We feel the pain as the train stops and forces her to gaze upon her husband living in their old house with the woman who ruined things.  Another plus point is how Tate Taylor with brutal honesty demonstrates the effects of Rachel's alcoholism and how her misery has compiled from her self-loathing. Bitter about her divorce and unable to shake the past she is lost in a sea of despair and her constant appearances have caused friction. After waking from one particularly disturbing blackout, she is shaken to the core.

The skewed narrative does well to show Rachel as an unreliable narrator and its non-linear structure makes us second guess frequently. Permanently sozzled, we often wonder if Rachel is hiding something as she can never seem to remember anything "I'm not the girl I used to be" she denotes frequently. Investigating officer Detective Riley (Allison Janney) suspects she knows more but Rachel is unable to trace her steps. Megan and Scott represent everything she yearns for, but as events inform us all is not as it appears. While it is key to the plot, Megan's story feels undercooked and doesn't quite draw us in. Haley Bennett looks the part of the devoted wife, but she fails to really engage. Her supposedly volatile relationship with Scott is never properly explored and her sessions with the mysterious Dr. Kamal Abdic (Edgar Ramirez) fill more like fillers than actual plot devices.

Key to the fans frustration in The Girl On The Train is Erin Cressida Wilson's script, what starts as promising stuff soon ruins itself with its insistence on too many twists, the majority of which feel predictable and it lacks the suspense of the novel. The final act which was soon shocking on paper just feels bland and near laughable. Taylor tries to dress things up well, but his talented cast cannot bring this to fruition. The cinematography of Charlotte Bruus Christensen is the real star of the piece as through her gliding shots she draws the audience into the heart of things. She firmly captures the continual insomnia of Megan and Anna's restlessness with her perfect home life. One notable exception is watching Rachel waking up to more than a hangover in her room, through Christensen she wakes up to pools of vomit, blood, and a nasty head wound. This one scene is the element that changes the tide.

What holds the film together is an outstanding star turn by Emily Blunt who is proving herself a capable actress across multiple forms. Blunt does more than just capture Rachel's continual drunkenness she absolutely nails her fragility and disillusion of how her once perfect life has gone south. In one amazing monolog, she ably demonstrates the characters self-destruction, hatred, and her desperation. Mesmerizing throughout, Blunt holds the audience sympathy but never crosses over into alienating them. She also gives Rachel a good air of hope and we hope she finds the redemption she so needs. Many criticized Blunt as miscast in this role, but it is impossible to think of the picture working without her.

The Girl On The Train will go down as a badly missed opportunity, it might be a pretty looking ride but its lack of story will have fanatics steaming at the ears.

Ivory Tower: Review of High Rise

High Rise

Director: Ben Wheatley

By Alex Watson

Although the anger and the socially divided filled world of JG Ballard still dazzle on screen, Ben Wheatley cannot make High Rise the memorable effort we desire. His depiction of a high rise building divided by class does fester with a wonderful malevolence but feels confused as to what approach he really desires? The wonderful ugly/beautiful cinematography of Laurie Rose both arrests and horrifies the eyes and this one world we are sucked into with no escape in sight.

Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) has recently moved into a luxurious high rise complex where its inhabitants are buying a piece of the future. He makes fast acquaintances with the residences such as the flirtatious Charlotte (Sienna Miller), the fiery Wilder (Luke Evans) and the wealthy Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons). Soon it becomes apparent there is a growing tension within the building and soon a violence threats to break apart this pristine society.

While High Rise, for the most part, is a well acted and immaculately produced work, it is not able to move into classic status. Wheatley is faithful to Ballard's and takes us into a world which is shiny and new on the surface but rotten to the core underneath. Foreseeing all the greed that was to come during the Thatcher era of Britain, this building gives us a group of well to do individuals obsessed with status right down to the car they drive. The way that Laurie Rose shoots this dazzles us early on and leaves a disturbing ambience which becomes the stuff of nightmares. In particular, a bizarre sequence when Laing is booted out of a fancy 18th-century party hosted by Royal.

Early on it becomes apparent this building has a social hierarchy that is causing a few issues. Power outages, garbage chutes blocked are just a few of the triggers that lead men like Wilder is cause a fuss. While Royal and his snobby wife Ann (Keeley Hawes) look down on the residence from their penthouse, the whole places is shaking with a barely contained anger. When it erupts the images are so striking it is impossible to tear our eyes away. Moment simple moments such as Evans crashing a pool party or a paint covered Hiddleston are so beautifully conveyed it like a hypnotizing nightmare. This might interrupt the flow of the story, but even if a Wheatley film isn't complete it always keeps us watching.

High Rise's story is the real source of the problem because while the novel is still relevant today, Wheatley and co-worker Amy Jump are unable to give it a smooth transfer to the big screen. The story never quite grasp its premise and moving into thriller territory knocks it off balance. The idea that people are buying the future but cannot shake their lower past is fascinating and the eventual decay of social order is excellently presented. However, the plot has a tendency is walk all over the place and never firmly snaps itself into place. Those who have read Ballard's novel will agree this is a difficult novel to pace and Wheatley deserves credit for taking this far. But no end of visual feasts can distract this picture for feeling slightly lost.

Tom Hiddleston does prove to be a perfect choice to bolster this tough piece and his slick yet troubled Dr. Laing is the perfect face for eventual destruction. Using all the charm we have seen in his priors like The Night Manager or Crimson Peak, Hiddleston is a morally complex man who lives the high life but fears to do so. Sienna Miller's unrepentant mistress is a sly and attractive look at the blaze view of corruption. Luke Evans is the real star of the piece and hot-tempered Wilder is a thumping presence. Wonderfully capturing the frustrations of the people in the floors below, Evans is the very of what will come to be.

Ben Wheatley's biggest budget piece by far, he does manage to pull off a tough act but those hoping for one of the great movies of the year might need to lower expectations. High Rise is a luscious bad dream which will make the descent into mayhem look glorious.

The Last Battle: Review of The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Director: Peter Jackson

By Alex Watson

So finally Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth comes full circle, The Hobbit Trilogy has encountered a decent reception upon its release, but maybe less positive than the beloved Lord of the Rings saga. Jackson has still been able to conjure up the same old magic as before though such as the hair raising introduction of Smaug the Dragon. He will be sure to make Tolkein proud though with this final installment in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. 

As Smaug the Dragon (Benedict Cumberbatch) reigns havoc upon the town of Laketown, a small band of survivors led by Bard (Luke Evans) make for the mountains of Erebor in search of shelter. Meanwhile Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is growing concerned with Thorin's (Richard Armitage) dark obsession over a precious king stone. All the while a surge of Orcs descend upon the mountain for a battle that will decide the fate of all!

The finale to Jackson's six part Middle Earth series is one that will no doubt please fans. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies wraps things up in a more convenient way than that the multiple endings of Return of the King. Events are given a major kick start as Smaug reigns a fiery death upon Lake Town, cue utter chaos where only an act of sheer heroism by Bard will save the day! Unlike other episodes, Jackson through good editing has stripped this one down to the necessary content and there is no dragging feeling or any sense he is looking to draw things about because he can.

Loyalty and brotherhood are the key focuses of Five Armies, Thorin's increasing insanity is the element that really keeps the story on its toes. The once steadfast and beloved leader has descended into a stir crazy man who under the dragons influence is beginning to suspect his fellow dwarf men.  Bard's story though is the one that captures our heart, as he is a simple man pushed into being a De-facto leader. Through his courage to save his family and his desire to regain the lives of other villagers, we find the movies sympathetic and compassionate voice. A well shot bargaining conversation through the Erebor gate with Thorin demonstrates his heroism and his opponent's unwillingness to budge.

In this installment, there are missteps in The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies such as an underwhelming three way battle when veterans Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) and Elrond (Hugo Weaving) do combat with the Nazgul. By rights this should have been a standout scene, but in a heartbeat it is gone to quickly! Plus although this a well paced final part, it never fully realizes its potential and feels a little too confined to the shadows throughout. This brooding sense of inner conflict aids the film in some parts but in others it simply delays the action.

But we are richly rewarded with a stunning final battle sequence as the Elk mounted Elf, Thranduil (Lee Pace) along with foul mouthed dwarf Dain (Billy Connolly) do battle with a sea of orcs against Erebor. However, it is the moment that Thorin emerges from the gates to lead the charge that really breathes life into this affair. There is also a heavy emotional undercurrent to this battle which was seldom seen in Return of the King and lives and bonds are shaken forever through a single blade. It is the kind of finale, only a director like Jackson could deliver.

Martin Freeman has proven to be an inspired piece of casting as Bilbo Baggins and has grown into the role magnificently. It is the way he portrays the Hobbit's humbleness and quiet bravery that adds layers to this character. More impressively, the cracks in Bilbo's character are beginning to show through. Jackson is subtle with his hints, but through Freeman, these give a powerful indicator what is to come. Five Armies though belongs to Richard Armitage as Thorin, a true presence in this series, this movie he plays both hero and villain to perfection. His finest moment comes from a stunning hallucinatory sequence against the golden floor of Erebor as the Dwarf leader finally clues into what is causing his new lust for his treasure!

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies is perhaps not as memorable as many would have hoped, but Jackson has still succeeded in giving JRR Tolkein's Middle Earth a fine send off! Farewell everyone, it has been an experience.