Report Card----"The Girl On The Train"

"The Girl On The Train" is a first rate whodunit.
As usual, I'm the last one to be able to figure it out.
And as usual, my wife was way ahead of me.
But that only made me feel slightly stupid , and didn't hurt my enjoyment one bit.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Consistently
A+.

Compelling even?

Often.
A.

Is it controversial?

It's not that deep.
No Grade.

Is it a story worth telling?

It's the kind of story that seems like it's been told before.
C.

Is it good storytelling?

It's very tightly structured.
A.

Is it well written?

Pretty well.
B+.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Yes and yes.  Allison Janney does a nice turn as a detective and the only actor that I recognize.
A.

Well shot?

Fine.
A.

Did the director put such a personal stamp on it so that no one else could have made it?

Not really.
D.

How long does it take to establish the film's locale and time period?

The first car you see is a new looking car from the fifties.  This is misleading.
It takes place in the present.
C-.

Is it too long? Too short?

Length is not a problem.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Yes, and yes.
A.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

As usual, they were way ahead of me.
A.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Not really.
C.

Is it funny?

Not really.  But its lack of humor didn't hurt it.
B.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

Not mine.
C.

Is it impressive?

Often, mainly for the storytelling.
A+.

Overall grade: A..

It's very much a ripping yarn.  So if you like your yarns ripped, you'll like this a lot.

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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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