The Girl on the Train

Time Out says

Tue Jun 1 2010

Known primarily for his bookish studies of family discord, 67-year-old French director André Téchiné (‘The Witnesses’, ‘Strayed’) has said that ‘The Girl on the Train’ is his ‘action movie’. But don’t expect a hysterical riposte to ‘Transformers 2’. Beyond numerous shots of the film’s star Emilie Dequenne (‘Rosetta’, pictured right) gliding around on rollerblades and a scene involving a knife attack in a warehouse, Téchiné fans can rest easy. Instead, the film uses these nuggets of action to tell a satisfying and illusive tale about the psychological knock-ons of trauma, the media’s readiness to exploit controversy and how it’s easier to tell a lie than maintain it. Dequenne is superb as Jeanne, a free spirit who unwisely reacts to a tragedy by inventing a situation which suggests she is the victim of a violent race-hate attack. Téchiné regulars Catherine Deneuve and Michel Blanc offer strong support as Jeanne’s mother and boss, but the film’s big strength is its unwillingness to dish out easy answers.

Author: David Jenkins