TRAIN DREAMS Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Clint Bentley
Stars: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H Macy, Kerry Condon, Clifton Collins jr, Alfred Hsing, John Patrick Lowrie, Rob Price, Paul Schneider, voice of Will Patton.
Train Dreams follows logger Robert Granier (Joel Edgerton) across the first half of the twentieth century as he quietly observes the world changing around him. He works felling trees in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and helps to build railway lines across America. He also settles down with his wife Gladys (Felicity Jones) and young daughter Kate on a small patch of land in a picturesque setting. But his work often means long periods of absence from his family. And while he is away tragedy strikes. Often at night he is visited by supernatural fever dreams.
Based on the 2011 Pulitzer Prize nominated novella written by Denis Johnson, a poet and playwright, this gently paced drama is an elegiac ode to a fading world and a vanishing way of life. Train Dreams comes across like a subpar Terrence Malick film with its view of strong connections to the natural world and some gorgeous almost poetic cinematography courtesy of Adolpho Veloso (Jockey, etc) that captures the striking landscapes. Like much of Malick’s body of work the film is gorgeous to look at but dramatically inert as the filmmakers employ a more impressionistic approach to the material. Many in the audience will find it hard to connect with the material.
The novella has been adapted to the screen by director Clint Bentley and writer Greg Kwedar (the pair behind the Oscar nominated script for 2023’s prison drama Sing Sing) and they capture Johnson’s sparse lyrical prose beautifully. There are no great dramatic moments here, but rather a stillness pervades much of the film, giving it a distinctively moody quality. The drama unfolds in small vignettes and in non-linear fashion rather than an overarching narrative structure. Undoubtedly though this is a handsome looking production.
The film has been narrated in soft, folksy fashion by Will Patton (who apparently also voiced the audiobook), which gives us some insights into the introspective Robert and his existential musings about life and death as he tries to make sense of the changing world around him.
Bryce Dressner (from the band The National) delivers an elegiac score. As the closing credits scroll across the screen Nick Cave sings the haunting, melancholic theme song.
Edgerton delivers a quiet, subtle, restrained and contemplative performance here, conveying Granier’s thoughts and his pain through small gestures. The film also stars William H Macy, who plays Arn, a seasoned explosives expert working on the railways; but others, including Clifton Collins jr and Kerry Condon, leave little impression in small roles.
Train Dreams is not a film for everybody, but those looking for something away from the loud, special effects driven big budget blockbusters spewed out by Hollywood may find something here to appreciate. Train Dreams has been released via streaming giant Netflix and will receive a limited cinematic season before being available for streaming.
★★
