TRAIN DREAMS Review

I know Netflix kind of hangs its hat on shows these days, but I have always been a movie guy, and I'm glad to see they still release so many new original films.

I like television programs, sure, but they're an awful big commitment. Several seasons of several episodes, all lasting between thirty and sixty minutes each. Sometimes much more if you enjoy something like Stranger Things! That's a time commitment of, like, twenty-ish hours or so on a low average. The wife and I recently started re-watching Supernatural. That's fifteen seasons of twenty episodes each, with the episodes lasting forty-plus minutes. What makes me think I have time for this these days?

And the gaps between seasons in recent years! How do people keep up with what happened last by the time a new series of episodes drops?

Movies to me are much easier. About two hours, in and out. Bam. Sometimes there are sequels and franchises, and my love of The MCU really puts to the test how much of a time sinkhole I think TV shows are, but basically you can watch a movie over one hundred minutes of your day and be done with it. Easy peasy!

Netflix's newest cinematic offering as of this writing is the early 1900's character drama, Train Dreams. Joel Edgerton plays Robert, who starts the story as a young man (well, he STARTS as a boy, but not loads of time are spent on that part of his youth) who falls in love with Gladys at church. The two begin a life together, even as Robert starts taking on logging jobs that take him far from home for long stretches of time.

The movie moves quickly, spinning by the years of Robert's life as he meets success, failure, and tragedy. With each passing age, we as the viewers are drawn deeper into his story and are eager to see him hold on to all the happiness that he can.

TWO UPS AND TWO DOWNS

+ Joel Edgerton carries the movie on his back and gives a wonderfully subdued and vulnerable performance as Robert. He is an old timey man born somewhere around the turn of the century to 1900 who clearly pushes his emotions down, but he is so expressive in his face and mannerisms and with the tone of his voice... you can always tell what he is thinking and feeling. 

I ended up looking up Edgerton after the movie ended so I could start seeking out

other projects of his. It turns out, he was the co-star (with Tom Hardy) in Warrior, a flick I absolutely adored. So I should not be surprised that he did it again here; Warrior is likely my favorite sport film of all time. He's a certified two-for-two in my book. Nothing else of his I've already seen do I particularly remember him from (looking at you, 2011's The Thing prequel).

Felicity Jones in Train Dreams

But yeah, a solid performance like his here really lifts up an entire movie. I had feelings on Train Dreams--more on that in a second--but without Edgerton as the lead, maybe it doesn't hit with me as much as it does. He really puts in a star-making turn in this one.

+ There is real emotion and heart in this story, and it can really affect you in parts. I ended up really caring about Robert and his story and his life. By the time you get to the third act and the resolution of the film, Train Dreams really worms its way under your skin. I was very emotionally connected to what was going on, and I left the movie with it having burrowed into my brain and leaving me thinking about it well after it was over.

Robert's story isn't highly relatable in a direct sense--how many among us have to leave our secluded cabin home for months at a time to do back-breaking labor in 2025?--but in an indirect manner, we can all relate to the way people come in and go out of our lives, leaving an imprint each time, as well as the experiences of loss and loneliness. There's something for everyone to find of themselves in this tale.

- For as engaging as this movie becomes, it starts almost tediously slowly, and I can completely understand if a viewer has mentally checked out before they ever reach the point of emotional resonance with the picture. I spent the first half hour at least kind of wondering if anything of note was ever going to happen. It took a while for the hook of the flick to find me.

In our Instant Gratification world of the modern day, that's a dangerous game for a movie to play. Especially one that debuted on a streaming service where so many of us will watch with our phones at the ready. In theater, I could see more folks getting on board with this, but I bet a fair portion of those viewing at home tuned out somewhat quickly here. Which is a shame and their loss, but it is the way the cookie cracks these days.

- Train Dreams is really just... "Things Happen: A Motion Picture". There's no great conflict or overarching plot; it's just the story of a man's life, from childhood to old age. It would be easy to write off as boring or unenjoyable if you are expecting something with action or a deeper arc. Robert doesn't have an arch-nemesis or any challenge to overcome. He's just a guy, making it from year to year while the general oppression of life weighs on him.

I'm not sure what I expected when I started Train Dreams this afternoon, but I'm sure I anticipated something with more of a three-act narrative and a general conflict. If I had known the film lacked story, I might have skipped it entirely, so I'm glad I was unaware of that element. I'm generally a fan of plot-heaviness and story more than characterization.

Despite what I rounded out the Downs by saying--that Train Dreams is really not the kind of offering I typically vibe with--I ultimately found myself floored by it. It's so incredibly well-told, and on a technical level, it's brilliantly shot and designed. But those technical aspects were such an afterthought to me because I just dug Robert's character and development so much. Hang in there with this one, I'm not kidding about the beginning being something of a slog, because it really does pay off by the time you finish it.

🍿 SCORE = 84 / 100