The Girl on the Train

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09/12/2013 After all these years, I still can't quite get along that, there are way too many agenda being included in a film from French Cinema, especially when the story is told in a very serious, uptight tone with spontaneous narrative & so-called "natural" acting. This is just an example. See more 08/09/2013 An interesting story, with tons of questions and few answers. Well told but nothing exceptional. See more 03/22/2013 "La Fille du RER" or "The Girl on the Train" is a tough nut to crack. On one side, it's a tidy, neat treat from the delicious tastes of French cinema; yet on the other, it's a film that raises a potentially very compelling and controversial topic but merely glosses over it and does just about nothing with it. It's hard to discredit it completely though, because it does have Catherine Deneuve in a leading role, and the talent of André Téchiné at the helm. The film focuses on Jeanne (Émilie Dequenne), a pretty but troubled young woman who floats aimlessly throughout life, with her supportive mother (Deneuve) always in the wings. Jeanne's life suddenly becomes a little more exciting when brooding wrester/thug Franck (Nicolas Duvaunchelle) charms her. She moves in with them, they begin dating, and then they get a sweet gig working as caretakers for a warehouse that actually is filled with drugs (which is unknown to Jeanne). After Franck is stabbed by an impatient junkie, Jeanne barely escapes getting arrested, and even worse, Franck wants nothing to do with her. If we didn't know Jeanne was fragile before, now we do, because suddenly, after hearing many stories similar on TV, she fabricates a story in which a group of strangers attack her because they believe she's Jewish. But why does she do it? At one glance, "La Fille du RER" works well in the sense that it's realistic, and it makes for a somewhat involving piece of drama. Téchiné directs every scene with style and flair, but never overdoes it, while the score is unsettling but just as mysterious as the characters themselves. From a technical standpoint, the film is gorgeous, but it doesn't have much more to offer than that. Dequenne and Deneuve are both excellent though; Dequenne manages to make Jeanne seem a bit troubled without ever once overdoing it, while Deneuve it heartbreaking as the caring mother that doesn't know how to deal with the mess her daughter has made. They make use of what little they have to work with, and it's disappointing they couldn't have been in a better film than this. The pacing and story just feels imbalance-- almost 3/4 of the film are taken just to explain the relationship between Jeanne and Franck, and Jeanne and her mother, and how it could have molded her into a crazed mess. By the time the actual "hate-crime" idea comes along, there's a mere half-hour left, which doesn't give the viewer any time to fully absorb what's happening. The topic itself it subtly skimmed over, and resolved so quickly that hardly any drama occurs. Everything in the film feels way undercooked-- even with just twenty more minutes, it could've broadened its ideas a little bit and eventually become a better film. But instead, it's stuck in a world where style comes over substance. "La Fille du RER" is a decent French thriller, but it isn't as good as it should be, considering the subject matter. Only for the biggest fans of either Deneuve or Téchiné, or both. See more 01/15/2013 It's pretty fascinating. Probably the best word I have for it. See more 01/15/2013 Beautifully shot, this moralistic drama is visually and emotionally intriguing. The use of different camera movements, changing between hand held, long shots and close ups are used to create intense drama. Also, the repetition of imagery and even use of dual exposure creates a visual emotional language that communicates the drama in this film. It is based on an actual case, although adapted. The performances are good especially Emilie Dequenne as Jeanne, creating an intense emotional narrative, that like most French films leaves much open and ambiguous and thus all the more interesting. Overall this film is superbly shot and brings up some interesting religious, political, moral and social issues. See more 09/29/2012 Bizarre, but mostly because it's fact-based. See more Read all reviews

The Girl on the Train

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