Train Dreams
Dustin Chase
“You can still feel the echo of it,” narrator Will Patton speaks at the opening of the film. While the narration speaks about time, essence, and the intangible, Clint Bentley’s new film “Train Dreams” looks at life and purpose in a way we haven’t seen since “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. There’s a sadness that runs through “Train Dreams;” even before our main character loses anything, we can feel that loss in every frame, sound, and quiet moment. Joel Edgerton’s performance is as subdued and heartbreaking as the film itself. Bentley seems to draw inspiration from the way Terrence Malick perceives the world, in reflections of light, nature’s movements, and stillness. Thankful for us, Bentley’s work has more meat on the bones and a functioning narrative.
Robert Grainier’s life really doesn’t start until he meets Gladys (Felicity Jones). Before her, Robert (Edgerton) was living and working without much purpose. Their little house in the woods by the river was all he needed and wanted in life. His work as a logger would take him away from his wife and child for long periods. Dangerous and backbreaking work, each return home was filled with joy but sadness that he had missed so much. Robert didn’t love his work like he loved being with his family, but on the logging trail is where he learned about the world and those who crafted it. “Little note was made of these men, but they left a lasting impression.”
There is a calming, soothing, and refreshing feeling to the images, music, and editing. In some ways, it’s visual poetry at its finest.
Composer Bryce Dessner’s original score for “Train Dreams” is as key to its success as anything else on screen. He matches the cinematic aching that Bentley has put forth note-for-note. There is a calming, soothing, and refreshing feeling to the images, music, and editing. In some ways, it’s visual poetry at its finest. Narration can often be a gimmick or a distraction. There are a few notable films where the narrator was essential for the films overall tone. “Seabiscuit” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” come to mind. “Train Dreams” is a blend of the two; both the narration gives us historical information as well as anecdotal insights.
“The world needs a hermit in the woods as much as a preacher in the pulpit.” Edgerton’s performance is of quiet restraint. In many ways, he is the audience, the everyman, the avatar going through life at a particular time and feeling his way through his lifetime. Bentley sprinkles supporting actors like Kerry Condon, Paul Schneider, and even Clifton Collins, Jr. from his first film, “Jockey,” throughout the film. Robert eventually comes to the rhetorical question, “What have we been left here for?” The film’s answer to that is the entire point of the picture.
Final Thought
A gentle breeze with powerful emotion, “Train Dreams” is a quiet visual masterpiece.