Cast: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H Macy
Director: Clint Bentley
Star rating: ★★★★.5
Where to watch: Netflix
Clint Bentley has made one of the year's best films in Train Dreams, an adaptation of Denis Johnson’s best-selling novella. I was reminded of the visual grandeur of Terrence Malick more than once, yet this is unmistakably original and true to its own medium. A film so sincerely lush and sombre in its depiction of the life of an ordinary worker striving for a better life. But how much can he do better?
Train Dreams review: Felicity Jones and Joel Edgerton in a still from the film, which first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
The premise
It is the early 20th-century American West. We meet Robert Grainier (played by Joel Edgerton), a logger and railroad worker who minds his own business, working the land and helping to create a new world from scratch. Bentley, working here with co-writer Greg Kwedar, honours the source material by introducing a voiceover that simply observes and tells what Robert does. His life changes forever when he meets Gladys (an effective turn from Felicity Jones).
The initial scenes between the two are beautifully sewn together (Adolpho Veloso's cinematography is utterly breathtaking), as they dream of building a cabin and, in extension, a life together. He goes out for work in long stretches, as the rapid forces of industrialisation take shape. Robert and Gladys have a daughter, and it is this humble abode that becomes its fulcrum of existence. He strives to earn more, even as he witnesses casual yet horrific acts of violence at work.
One day, a Chinese labourer is accused of some unknown crime and dies after he is thrown from their newly built railway bridge. He returns, repeatedly, and haunts Robert like a shadow of something he cannot get rid of. Is it a curse? It all lasts until a terrible tragedy shakes Robert to the core. But this is just a broad outline of a film that expands in lingering whispers of the beauty and brutality of life that surrounds him.
What works
Bentley patiently and empathetically adapts the source material, deriving much power from the meditative shots and fragments of Robert's inner life. It is so vibrant and teeming with a giant life-force of sorts, where the images provide a sweeping reflection of what is out of this humble man's grasp. He can't avoid it; he must live through it.
The key to unlocking many moments in Train Dreams is through Joel Edgerton's wondrous performance. He is always so good, and somehow always underrated, but as Robert, he carries the years of this one man's journey with exquisite subtlety and melancholia. Not a single note feels false, and the film could have been just as moving if it rested entirely on his face. It is his best performance to date. Train Dreams also features quietly moving supporting turns, notably from Felicity Jones and, particularly, William H. Macy, whose presence grounds the film in many ways. In the latter scenes, Kerry Condon also provides able support.
Train Dreams moves with the grace and lyricism of a soft country ballad. This is a film not just about America and one man, but about the wisdom and resilience that binds us all. It is a microcosm of an entire life lived, confronting the many beauties and injustices within the time on this earth. Life moves on, despite everything. Robert continues to live and see another day, and in the film's exquisite final minutes, he learns to make peace after all.
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’.
A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own.
Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience.
Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm
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