LA FILLE DU RER (THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN)

France, 2009, 100 minutes, Colour.
Emilie Duquenne, Catherine Deneuve, Michel Blanc.
Directed by Andre Techine.

The Girl on the Train sounds like any other drama or thriller. It is and it isn't. In the hands of veteran director, Andre Techine, it becomes a classy but sometimes ordinary French drama.

The girl in question is 20 year old Jeanne (Emilie Duquenne) who is in need of a job, lives with her mother (Catherine Deneuve) who is a nice grandmotherly child minder. Jeanne roller blades a good deal and catches the eye of champion wrestler. x. Because her mother wanted her to apply for a job with a Jewish lawyer, Samuel Bleistein (Michel Blanc), whom she and her husband knew from their army days, issues of anti-Semitism and contemporary bigotry and attacks on Jews in France are introduced.

The cast does bring their characters to life, bringing a multi-dimensional depth to their personalities and their problems, including those of the next generations of Bleisteins. Jeanne and x are used by a drug lord to caretake the building where he stores the drugs. This leads to disaster. Jeanne, who looks so attractive that we don't think of her as having mental problems then acts on stories she has heard about the attacks on Jews (getting off the train) and creates embarrassment for her mother and for the Bleistein family and a crisis for herself.

An above average ordinary film which audiences won't rush to but should feel quite satisfied after seeing it.

1.A typical French drama? Relationships? Psychological dimensions? The Jewish and anti-Semitic dimensions?

2.The title, the credits with the tunnel, the many scenes of the trains, the score intense with the trains, people travelling on the Parisian underground, the anti-Semitic attacks on the railway stations?

3.Paris, the city, homes? The offices? The contrast with the countryside, the mansion, the rivers? The weather and the rain?

4.The portrait of Jeanne? Her age, seeing her rollerblading, listening to the music, the Bob Dylan song? Her living with her mother, her mother wanting to get a job as a secretary, composing the letter, going to the interview, eager to please, but unqualified, making the family connection? The information given to her by her mother? Meeting the young man rollerblading, hiding in the shop, his conning the owner into selling her the suitcase? The phone calls, their meeting, going out, talking, the bond between them, going home to his apartment and the joke with Tom, his wrestling photos, the wrestling bout, going with her mother? The dinner, the proposal? Their caretaking the building, the young man not telling her about the drugs? Happy? The shock of discovering the young man stabbed? Going to the hospital, the reaction of the police, the interrogation, the tape and her not being arrested? Yet the humiliation of her going to the police station, stripped, changing into the garb? The effect on her? The young man not wanting to see her? Her making up the story, having heard it on the television? Cutting herself, her giving the story to the press, the reaction, the business card with the Bleistein name on it? Going to the Bleistein family, the interrogation, Samuel and his not believing her? The young boy and his knowing the truth? The night with the young boy and discussions? Samuel dictating the letter, taking it to the police, her sentence? Her promising to have treatment?

5.Louise, her life story, love for her husband, Samuel and his letter? Her looking after the children, her good manner with them? Concern about Jeanne? Writing the letter and the preparation for the interview? The letter from Bleistein? Contacting him, the concert, her not going in, his waiting? Going later to see him, concern about the young man, needing a lawyer? Her impression of the young man, watching him wrestle, talking at the dinner? Jeanne and the story about the attack, going to visit the Bleisteins, their hospitality, her weariness, not being able to believe that Jeanne did this, wondering why? The apology, going back home, minding the children?

6.The young man, rollerblades, the conning to buy the case, going out with Jeanne, taking her to the apartment, Tom and the joke, the wrestling bout, winning, taking Jeanne and her mother for the meal, the discussions with the drug lord, the taking over the building, caretakers, the happy time with Jeanne? Stopping the drug dealer, his being stabbed, in hospital? Not wanting to see Jeanne? Saying he would do it all over again – and the final interview about Jeanne and the truth with Samuel?

7.The Bleinsteins, the father coming back from Beijing, separation from his wife, concern about his son, wanting to take him to Venice? His coming back to his wife? The wife, her work for Samuel, writing his TV text? Devout, the husband the atheist, wanting the bar mitzvah for the boy? The truth about Jeanne? The joyous celebration of the bar mitzvah and the feast?

8.The young boy, relationship with his parents, seeing that they had messed up their lives, their demands that he obey them? His comments about Jeanne and the truth? Helping her in the rain, the night in his den? The bar mitzvah?

9.How interesting and satisfying the story’s drama, relationships, the focus on anti-Semitic problems, riots and bigotry – and the bringing in of the president, the media and the police making the issue political?