The Girl on the Train: a film review

The Girl on the Train directed by Tate Taylor based on the best selling novel by Paula Hawkins was perhaps better left as a novel. For the first hour of the almost two hour long movie it was difficult to follow the plot or make a mental note of the characters. Yes, the pace improved in the second half and, at the very least, the main characters were no longer confusing.

The story revolves around an alcoholic divorcee woman, Rachel, who becomes obsessed with a couple living in a house she passes on her daily commute into Manhattan. One day during these daiy voyeuristic commutes Rachel witnesses the woman kissing a man who is not her husband. Having been through a divorce with an unfaithful husband – who lives in their jointly purchased house a few doors down from the couple she obsesses about – Rachel loses it.

Rachel, known for making unannounced visits to her ex-husband's home, subsequently tries to visit the apparently unfaithful woman (Megan) to give her a piece of her mind. Unfortunately for Rachel as she was in her usual drunken stupor she has little recollection of what transpired during that fateful visit. Unfortunate because that night Megan mysteriously disappeared. 

The story slowly unravels and the viewer pieces together the puzzle, all the while learning more about each character. (Yes, you know the old adage: don't judge a book by its cover.) 

The Girl on the Train is billed as a psychological thriller on many move sites. That's a fallacy. At best it's a mystery - albeit incuding a side role for a mysterious psychiatrist. Only the strength of the acting held it together with great performances put in by the cast. In case anyone's asking, I would say the book might be the better bet!

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Poor entertainment, purely cerebral (Film review: Stay)

I watched the movie thinking it might be a suspenseful thriller. I was mistaken. The movie was slow to begin with but after about 30 minutes I felt committed and saw it through to the end.

Despite the big name cast - every actor was a familiar face - the movie provided little in the way of entertainment. It was purely cerebral. Maybe the writer is a shrink?

The movie may make sense to shrinks or those who wish to mentally dissect the 100 minutes of celluloid. For those just looking for entertainment the movie is a failure.

Watch it if you're in a Freudian mood otherwise move on to something else.

NB: At the time of writing this review, Stay is available on Amazon Prime in many jurisdictions.

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Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Occupied: Norwegian television series a review

Occupied is a Norwegian television series which tells the story of a series of political events leading to the Russian military occupation of Norway.

A Russian military occupation of Norway may sound unrealistic but the series plays out in such a manner that it's almost believable. After a few episodes it doesn't really matter as the plot fully draws in the viewer. The intricate plot blends love, political intrigue, action and European politics in a believable fashion.

The military intervention was all about Norway's enormous oil and gas reserves.

Yes, the geopolitics of oil and gas are intense. After all, wasn't the US intervention in Iraq all about oil? So why should one be so surprised something similar could happen in the heart of Europe with Russia as the antagonist?

Occupied is watchable despite the acting. At times, the acting leaves a lot to be desired. It is wooden with characters seeming to simply 'go through the motions.' The depth in characters is therefore missing.

Nonetheless, Occupied is a must watch for anyone interested in political thrillers. It builds a credible story based on plausible situations. The gaps in the plot are forgivable given the entertainment value of the series.

Note: At the the time of writing, two season of Occupied are available on Netflix in many jurisdiction.

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Imran is an adventurer, blogger, consultant, guide, photographer, speaker, traveler and a banker in his previous life. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram (@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

The Bormann Testament by Jack Higgins: a book review

After the last few Jack Higgins novels disappointed me, I was apprehensive about starting The Bormann Testament. I kept the faith as the subject, i.e. the Nazi movement in 1960s post-war Germany, interested me.

I am glad. The Bormann Testament was a fast paced, entertaining novel. The plot moved quickly. There were just enough twists to keep me happy but not enough to confuse me. The story fell into place with a good cast of characters. I could even overlook the author's occasional political pontifications about Germany and its Nazi movement!

If one views the book as a work of 'historical fiction' then it reveals the extent of the German Nazi problem in 1962, a good fifteen years after the war ended with Hitler's Nazis defeated. (Arguably, there will always be an extreme right wing segment in German / European society, especially if one looks at recent political events in Europe?) That backdrop provided good context for the story.

Surely, the book is not one of Higgins' best. Nonetheless, it is not a bad way to while away a few hours.

Imran is an adventurer, blogger, consultant, guide, photographer, speaker, traveler and a banker in his previous life. At the time of writing, Imran is living in Rashidabad until December 2017 while a volunteer at the SST Public School. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram (@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.