Train Dreams Review: Life, Loss, and Memory in the West

Train Dreams is a quiet, beautifully made film about a life shaped by change, memories, and the passing of time.

Train Dreams ends up being a thoughtful drama about a man looking back on a life shaped by work, love, loss, and the people around him.

Plot

Based on Denis Johnson's beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century.

What I Liked

• Joel Edgerton is excellent, as is the whole cast really.

• The narration fits well.

• The cinematography is beautiful.

• The humour works well.

• It gets better after watching it again, at least for me it did.

What I Didn’t Like

• The pacing is very slow, and yes it’s intentional I know, but still…

• It takes a while to get into, again, least for me.

My Thoughts on Train Dreams

You have to let this one sink in

I will be honest, I wasn’t completely sure what to make of this film first, because the pacing in particular was something I wasn’t overly on board with, but I did a rare thing for me and re-watched it the day after, and then it clicked better - the questions, the small moments the film is portraying, and it seemed to sink in more and click in my tiny little brain.

It certainly asks for a lot of patience, but once I got it, I got much more out of it, but even now, I still don’t think I got everything that I should have got from it, which is why I want to re-watch it again at some point.

Joel Edgerton and the whole cast are great

Joel Edgerton full of restraint here, without him making anything ever feel empty, letting things stay quiet when they need to, and it’s the little details that matter with him.

You also get the sense that this is someone who has experienced a lot, even when he isn’t talking about it, and it’s one of those performances where the more you think about it, the better it gets.

Felicity Jones is another one that shines, bringing a lot of warmth, and I liked the way she and Edgerton interact, with their scenes feeling comfortable and natural, which mdes their connection much easier to believe and connect with.

William H. Macy also makes the most of his role, where he has a way of making even smaller appearances feel memorable, while the rest of the cast add a lot too,because even the rief appearances feel like they belong to actual people with their own lives.

The narration

I’ve mentioned before that I’m usually a bit unsure when films use narration because it can go wrong very quickly, as sometimes it feels like a movie is telling you how to feel instead of letting you figure things out yourself - but thankfully, that wasn’t my experience here.

Will Patton’s narration fits the mood and doesn’t take anything over, and it feels like someone looking back and remembering things rather than someone explaining every little detail, where it also leaves enough room for the acting and visuals.

It adds something without becoming the main focus, which is exactly what a narration should accomplish.

One of the best-looking films

The visuals in Train Dreams are fantastic too - the landscapes, the forests, the open spaces, everything looks incredible, and there’s a real sense of care in how the film has captured the world around its characters, with a great sense of atmosphere without constantly trying to show you how beautiful it is, and while some movies almost beg you to notice their cinematography, this one just gets on with it, which makes the beautiful moments feel more natural.

There were a lot of shots that stayed in my head simply because they looked so good.

It’s also quite funny

The little bits of humour throughout the film really add a lot to the overall experience, and going by the overall tone, I certainly wasn’t expecting many moments that would make me laugh, but there are quite a few.

All of it comes from normal conversations and the way people are behaving around each other, which actually helps you connect with the characters more too, because life isn’t just serious moments one after another, and the film knows that.

Those small moments are what give the film a nice balance.

Final Verdict

Train Dreams is a film that rewards patience, and I am glad I gave it a re-watch as well, as it ends up becoming a lovely reminder that sometimes the simplest stories can leave the biggest impression.

Trailer

Film Credits

Directed by Clint Bentley

Screenplay by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar

Based on Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

Starring - Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Nathaniel Arcand, Clifton Collins Jr., John Diehl, Paul Schneider, Kerry Condon and William H. Macy

Narrated by Will Patton

Cinematography by Adolpho Veloso

Edited by Parker Laramie

Music by Bryce Dessner

Running time - 102 minutes

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