The Girl on the Train (Tate Taylor, 2016)

6/10
I haven't read the book. The movie wasn't as bad as I expected, in fact the reviews seem a little harsh. It's a functional enough thriller, keeps you guessing reasonably well (I didn't figure out whodunnit, but I'm notoriously lousy at that) and features a really good performance by Emily Blunt, even if it's a little showy. The most annoying thing in the movie (vague spoiler talk): and this probably worked better on the page, is that it relies upon misleading its audience as the foundation for its "twist". Similar to Gone Girl, but at least it doesn't have the same pretentions of artistry that movie did. So when you show me something taking place, and then show me something later that basically says "no this is how it really happened", it just feels like a cheap trick, not clever moviemaking (or storytelling).
As a decently entertaining night at the movies, you could do worse.

The Help (Tate Taylor, 2011)

5/10
There really isn't much to say about a movie like The Help - if you've seen the commercials, you've seen the movie. About the only worthwhile thing here are the performances - Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis and Jessica Chastain are all very good. I like Emma Stone in comedy roles but I thought she seemed kind of out her element here - like a kid trying to play grown-up. In terms of the white guilt films Hollywood loves to churn out, this isn't nearly as offensive or braindead as The Blind Side of a couple of years ago, but it has zero artistic merit and doesn't strive to convey any more of a message than can conveniently fit inside a 2-minute trailer. So watch that instead and save your self 2 and a half hours.