Train Dreams | Film Review

 

The story of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger whose life takes many unexpected turns in the early 20th century.

I'd heard great things about this film, but it's probably not one that I would have chosen to watch had it not been for the awards buzz. The premise was vague and not particularly intriguing.

That being said, I'm glad I watched it because I did like it.

I went in blind, which I'd definitely recommend, as the less you know about a story like this, the easier it is to become truly invested.

It takes a while to get used to the characters and their world. For me the voiceover that's throughout the entire film took me the most time to get on board with.

There was great chemistry between the actors. This was most obvious between Edgerton and Felicity Jones, who played Gladys, but it's present in all the relationships Grainier makes.

Speaking of the actors, while I'm not surprised that the film received the nominations it got, I was surprised that there was nothing for acting. Edgerton was amazing in this role and Grainier is such an interesting character to bring to life.

The film is kind of broken in two as we explore Grainier's two worlds, at work and at home. At first I was more interested in the family scenes, but when we got to know the loggers and see Grainier's relationships, these work scenes become just as powerful as the family scenes.

You really grow to care about the characters, and that's why the film works so well. We don't care about the time period, we don't care about the work, we care deeply about these people, and we become so invested that when things go wrong, we really feel the devastation of that.

The story is incredibly well written and paced. It's easy to get through but hard to watch.

Overall, I got a lot more invested in this than I thought I would. It's a simple but extremely powerful story.

7.5/10