This afternoon I took myself to my local cinema for a Sunday afternoon by myself to see The Girl on The Train. I'll try and not spoil anything for anyone! You should also know that I did read the book so that should add a bit of perspective for me as a viewer.
First things first, Emily Blunt plays the character of Rachel who is an alcoholic commuter in New York. Her life is caught up with two other women who form the central three characters of the movie. They are played by Hayley Bennet (Megan) and Rebecca Ferguson (Anna). Emily Blunt seems to be copping a lot of flak for this role from professional critics. Some are saying she is flat out terrible - both in her acting as an alcoholic and as a casting choice, deeming her 'too pretty' for the role. On the subject of her acting, I was pretty convinced of her inebriation and thought she really nailed this aspect of the role. I think it was particularly well done given the sheer length of time that Rachel needs to be drunk in the movie and it never felt as if she was overplaying it; you truly did get a sense that she was unsure of herself and what she is capable of. For the second point, while I have read some reviews that state that someone with her level of alcoholism could not look like Emily Blunt, I thought that seeing as she captured the essence of the character so well, this could be forgiven. Also, it is clear that they tried to at least show the physical evidence of her affliction - particularly through a reddened nose and general blotchiness on her face. She also appeared at times to be a bit puffy in the face (perhaps thanks to her pregnancy?). So, overall I had no problem with Emily Blunt as Rachel and thought she did an excellent job.
