The Girl on the Train
Sometimes you read a book you loved and then almost immediately forget everything you just read. Sometimes you read a book you hated and remember it forever.
When I read The Girl on the Train, I had to tell everyone how great it was. It was before I read Gone Girl and realized there is an actual genre of "psychological-thrillers-where-you-have-no-idea-what's-happening-and-then-it-gets-awesome-and-the-ending-is-crazy" - it's a thing. Anyway, the problem became that whenever I tried to tell anyone what it was about, that was the only way I could describe it. I couldn't tell anyone what it was really about because then they would know and the book wouldn't be amazing for them. Not that I don't like spoilers - I do, probably too much - but in this case if I knew the ending ahead of time, I wouldn't have cared as much while I was reading it and trying to figure out what happened. Then, inexplicably, I completely forgot the entire book. I couldn't remember what happened or who did what or what the characters were named or what they were like. It melded together with Gone Girl and In a Dark, Dark Wood and I couldn't remember.
Then they announced the movie, and I was terrified. I am even more terrified of The Circle starring Emma Watson, because it is my current favorite book and I just know they are going to ruin it. So when The Girl on the Train came out, I avoided it. I didn't think Emily Blunt was good casting, and there was no way they could pull off the switching narrators and black out moments.
I was wrong. I watched The Girl on the Train last night, and it was amazing. It started slow, but so did the book. After about twenty minutes, I started to remember the book, and remember why I liked it. There is a thin line the author walked where you have no idea what's going on but somehow you still care and want to find out. Lots of authors get it wrong, and you are so confused you never finish. Amazingly, the film had that same feel to it. No spoilers, but everything was just how I remembered it, even though I forgot it.
Let's talk about casting. Too many times, casting directors just get it totally wrong. They cast Kristen Stewart or Amy Adams or someone completely wrong for the role and the whole movie feels weird. And when I read the cast list, I didn't think it would work. Justin Theroux was absolutely amazing, and so was Emily Blunt. Allison Janney's part was small but perfect acted.
Overall, it was great. It held true to the book but was still compelling and incredible. I hope you read the book before you see the film, but even if you don't, enjoy. I won't forget this again.
When I read The Girl on the Train, I had to tell everyone how great it was. It was before I read Gone Girl and realized there is an actual genre of "psychological-thrillers-where-you-have-no-idea-what's-happening-and-then-it-gets-awesome-and-the-ending-is-crazy" - it's a thing. Anyway, the problem became that whenever I tried to tell anyone what it was about, that was the only way I could describe it. I couldn't tell anyone what it was really about because then they would know and the book wouldn't be amazing for them. Not that I don't like spoilers - I do, probably too much - but in this case if I knew the ending ahead of time, I wouldn't have cared as much while I was reading it and trying to figure out what happened. Then, inexplicably, I completely forgot the entire book. I couldn't remember what happened or who did what or what the characters were named or what they were like. It melded together with Gone Girl and In a Dark, Dark Wood and I couldn't remember.
Then they announced the movie, and I was terrified. I am even more terrified of The Circle starring Emma Watson, because it is my current favorite book and I just know they are going to ruin it. So when The Girl on the Train came out, I avoided it. I didn't think Emily Blunt was good casting, and there was no way they could pull off the switching narrators and black out moments.
I was wrong. I watched The Girl on the Train last night, and it was amazing. It started slow, but so did the book. After about twenty minutes, I started to remember the book, and remember why I liked it. There is a thin line the author walked where you have no idea what's going on but somehow you still care and want to find out. Lots of authors get it wrong, and you are so confused you never finish. Amazingly, the film had that same feel to it. No spoilers, but everything was just how I remembered it, even though I forgot it.
Let's talk about casting. Too many times, casting directors just get it totally wrong. They cast Kristen Stewart or Amy Adams or someone completely wrong for the role and the whole movie feels weird. And when I read the cast list, I didn't think it would work. Justin Theroux was absolutely amazing, and so was Emily Blunt. Allison Janney's part was small but perfect acted.
Overall, it was great. It held true to the book but was still compelling and incredible. I hope you read the book before you see the film, but even if you don't, enjoy. I won't forget this again.
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