“Train Dreams” follows Robert Grainier, who helps create a new world at the turn of the 20th century while living and working in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It’s based on the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson.
“Train Dreams” begins in hypnotically beautiful fashion. Utilizing narration to near perfection, the film starts telling the tale of Robert’s life. It does so through this consistent voice-over, but also remembers that it’s a visual medium.
Narration that Deepens the World
While other movies may feel like they’re using narration to tell the story, “Train Dreams” uses it as a complement. The pairing between voice-over and story works surprisingly well here, bouncing off each other to craft a complete picture for the audience.
I haven’t read the original writing, but “Train Dreams” feels like it’s almost taking the words right off the page. With each stretch of narration, the emotionally devastating yet majestic nature of the film continues to rise.
The beautiful visuals match the soothing nature of Will Patton’s narration. “Train Dreams” captures the beauty of nature – whether it’s vast and empty, covered in trees or erupted in flames. The Earth is almost a character of its own in this movie, showcasing the power that just a single plot of land can possess time and time again.
Simply put, “Train Dreams” is stunning – in big part thanks to cinematographer Adolpho Veloso. Each frame looks like its own piece of art.
A Sensory Experience of Nature and Emotion
The sound design and score of the film is subtle, yet effective. Small, but signature sounds radiate throughout. These tones add to some of the most emotional and resonating moments.
The messaging of “Train Dreams” is on-par with the film’s technical achievements as well. Perfectly encapsulating the fragility of life, it explores love and loss in subtle yet enormous ways. The movie serves as a reminder to cherish the moments you have – if that’s with family, a friend, a home.
“The dead tree is as important as the living one.”
Using the forest as a metaphor for connection, “Train Dreams” simply deciphers grief and loss in ways that most other movies cannot. The film lets viewers know that whatever path these emotions take them is OK.
This message echoes through the end credits and beyond.
Life Told with Epic Intimacy
“Train Dreams” is able to tell the story of one man’s life in only a 102-minute runtime. While the main focus is on Robert’s adult years, the film still offers fragments of his past through memory. In doing so, it somehow attains an epic status that is so hard to achieve.
Clint Bentley crafts a tale that could have felt repetitive or convoluted. Instead, the ideas that “Train Dreams” presents grow into something almost bigger than a movie itself.
Joel Edgerton (Robert) takes a great movie and turns it into a triumph. In a career with many great performances, this just might be his best. While he may not say much, Edgerton’s onscreen presence is enough to get his character’s emotions across. With each gaze into the distance or sigh or breath of relief, he makes Robert feel whole.
Felicity Jones (Gladys) is great as well. Every time that Jones appears, she brings charismatic energy to the screen. As the pair bounce off of each other, their bond begins to feel real and authentic.
Through the combination of visuals, performances and sound, “Train Dream” makes the audience truly feel something. It captures the feeling of a hug from someone you love. Or the pain of a loss that is so hard to imagine. Somehow, this little film brings all of the emotions to the screen – and even into the real world.
“Train Dreams” explores the meaning of life – and all of the love and loss within. It’s both a visual and auditory feast with a career-defining performance from Edgerton. A quiet masterpiece.
Rating: 5 out of 5
