The Girl on the Train

I have not read the bestselling book behind this movie, and I avoided spoilers, so I went into it with no more knowledge of its plot than what the trailers revealed.  I'm glad I did that, and I encourage you to do the same, should you also not know the story.  Though reactions in our group were decidedly mixed, I enjoyed the film and found it interesting from start to finish.

The movie's story unfolds in bits and pieces that jump around in time, a nice device for a mystery but one that can lead to confusion.  Fortunately, I didn't find this one at all confusing, and the pieces built slowly to an interesting conclusion.

What really makes The Girl on the Train worth watching, though, is Emily Blunt's excellent performance.  To avoid spoilers I will say only that she is completely convincing throughout a complex series of scenes that involve many aspects of her character.

I will warn that if you are seeking a movie with characters you can consistently like, this one is not for you.  No one here is without flaws, and many of the flaws are serious indeed.

If you're in the mood for a tense mystery, check out The Girl on the Train.

Edge of Tomorrow

I understand the temptation to write off any Tom Cruise movie without seeing it, because from many reports he is a world-class ass-clown.  (I've never met him and have never bothered to look into him or his behavior, but plenty of folks I respect have issues with him.)  I also understand the temptation to write off Edge of Tomorrow after watching the trailer as just Groundhog Day with alien battles; to some degree, that is a reasonable summary of the film. 

Don't succumb to either temptation.  Go see Edge of Tomorrow.  It's worth your time. 

In many ways, it is a Tom Cruise film, and the plot does indeed revolve around the relive-the-day gimmick, but the movie is a great deal more.  Cruise starts out as a coward, and his smarmy desperation oozes from the screen in those early scenes.  He grows into the hero's role, but it takes time, and he portrays the growth credibly.  The gimmick is indeed central to the movie, but director Doug Liman handles it with skill, never boring us or abusing it.

Emily Blunt is a joy to watch, an exo-suit-powered warrior who snarls her way through her early scenes and who never lets up on Cruise.

I know I often have to explain my odd tastes in movies, but in this case, as I write this, RottenTomatoes has the critics rating at 90% and the audience's at 92%, so I'm not alone in my enjoyment. 

I don't want to go into spoilers, so I'll just wrap by saying that Edge of Tomorrow is exactly what a summer big-budget action film should be, and then some.  Check it out.