Train Dreams

 Earlier this year, I reviewed Sing Sing, which Greg Kweldar directed and co-wrote with Clint Bentley. This time, I review Train Dreams, which Bentley directed and co-wrote with Kweldar. What a year this has been.

A narrator (Will Patton) tells us all about one Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton). He never knew his parents, and if he had a great destiny, he never knew it either. All he knew was the wilderness, where he helped build the railroads with some eclectic characters. It takes us a while before we realize that this is the 20th century. 

In the meantime, he meets and weds Grace Olding (Felicity Jones). They start a life with their daughter, Katie, in a log cabin. Robert frequently leaves them for months to take up logging work. A few things later upend his uneventful life. One is a massive wildfire, and the other is him finally seeing the modern world. 

Bentley and Kweldar adapted Denis Johnson's novella into a svelte, 102-minute film. That's plenty of time to get to know Robert, whom Edgerton plays pretty well from young man to eighty-year-old. He gets plenty of nice moments with Gladys, especially when she takes the initiative to introduce herself. You'll easily sympathize with him after his family disappears, and he later finds a girl who might be Katie. He mostly watches stuff happen around him, like a fellow laborer (Alfred Hsing) getting murdered. To his credit, the event and the man's "ghost" haunt him. 

We've got a dynamic supporting cast here, perhaps none more so than William H. Macy. As Arn Peeples, the demolitions expert, he's delightfully grumpy, but is still an invaluable mentor. When he's struck down by a falling branch, Patton constantly narrates his decline, but you'll still empathize with the old man. Nathan Schneider gets a good scene in as the rambling Apostle Frank, as does Brandon Lindsay, whose Elijah Brown has a score to settle with Frank. We also have the grocer Ignatius Jack (Nathaniel Arcand), and the forest ranger Claire Thompson (Kerry Condon), both of whom provide great moral support.

It's little surprise that Adolpho Veloso got himself Oscar shortlisted for his cinematography. Taking cues from Terence Malick, Veloso films the Pacific Northwest and Robert's nightmares in natural light. Veloso filmed the movie in an unusual 3:2 aspect ratio, which comes through in its extreme wide shots (like in Elijah's scene). Moments like Robert coming across the fire thankfully speak for themselves. These haunting visuals are matched by composer Bryce Dessner, whose score and end credits song (a collaboration with Nick Cave), were also shortlisted. I wouldn't mind any of them getting onto the final ballot.

Yes, Train Dreams is on Netflix, but it's still playing in some theatres. Hop on to the biggest screen you can find and check it out. About my only problem with it is the constant narration, but that's alleviated by Patton's folksy voice (he also narrated the audiobook). Overall, it's surprisingly easy to watch this thematically dense film. See it soon to see what I mean; on to my next movie destination.