A One Mann’s Movies review of “Train Dreams”. (2026, 3.5*, 12A).
Ultimately, there is normally one of the ten Oscar Nominated Best Pictures that I don’t particularly click with and this year it looks like being “Train Dreams”. (Perhaps I’m also a bit grumpy that its inclusion bumped out the chance for “The Ballad of Wallis Island” to make it on the list!) It’s not that its a bad film: in many ways, it is an exceptionally well-made film. But however artful it was, I just found it a bit dull.
I originally slated this as a 3 star film, but it honestly is so impressive to look at that I really can’t stick at that.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
We follow the life story of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker, who builds a fragile life for himself in the tough and dangerous world of the early 20th Century American West.
Certification:
UK: 12A; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC website: “Moderate violence, threat, sex”.)
Talent:
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Clifton Collins Jr., Felicity Jones, Alfred Hsing, William H. Macy, Kerry Condon.
Directed by: Clint Bentley.
Written by: Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar. (Based on the novella by Denis Johnson.)
Running Time: 1h 42m.
Summary:
Positives:
- Astonishingly striking cinematography.
- Images that stick in the mind.
- Strong performances, particularly from Joel Egerton.
Negatives:
- As a life story, it didn’t really fully engage me: it felt episodic.
Full Review of “Train Dreams”:
Full of visual mysticism.
In some ways I could really liken this film to “The Life of Chuck“, one of my favourites from last year. As in Chuck, it tells the life story of a character and is full of images that stay with you long after the film has finished.
- The sight of the boots of killed loggers and railroad workers being nailed to a tree, only later to find them again with the tree having incorporated them into their very fabric;
- The casual racism of a Chinese worker tossed to his death, for no discernible reason;
- A raging forest fire consuming a log cabin;
- An ethereal image of a steam train crossing a foggy forest bridge;
- A “widow-maker” branch falling from the top of a tree.
So much visual magic.
And yet….
So why didn’t the film grab me in the same way as “The Life of Chuck“? Parts of the film really work well, including the love story between Robert (Joel Edgerton) and Gladys (Felicity Jones). But, particularly later in the film, we seem to skip through his later life in episodes that don’t really flow together into a coherent story: the only linking factor is Robert’s grief.
For example, with a sequence later in the film with Claire (Kerry Condon), a fire-control expert, I was expecting the encounter to lead on to something more substantial in the story. But, while it gives a lot of opportunity for earnest chat about glaciers, tree growth, forest fires and grief, the relationship seems to be little more than a friendly one, which I found disappointing.
Another sequence sees the return of a young girl who may or may not be Robert’s lost daughter: but again, it comes and goes as a stand-alone episode before we are whisked away to a later time in Robert’s life.
Superb cinematography.
Where the film scores big time for me is in the cinematography by Adolpho Veloso. I first noticed Veloso from his work on 2021’s “Jockey“, but here he steps up the game even more. It’s idyllic and I really think it stands a chance of winning the Oscar: I will need to give my pick for this category serious consideration.
Veloso not only captures the majesty of the American forests but comes out with really interesting perspectives (look at the framing of that shot above with William H. Macy). The first meeting of Robert and Claire is taken as a constant long-shot of the horse and carriage drawing up, which is again an interesting choice. And later shots of the pair talking in Claire’s lookout station are again taken in long-shot (and exquisitely lit), perhaps reflecting that the pair will never become a ‘couple’.
Good performances.
Joel Edgerton gives a fantastic performance – probably a career best for him. This might have been his chance for that elusive Oscar nomination, but it was not to be.
William H. Macy, Felicity Jones and Kerry Condon also give strong supporting performances.
There is a toughness and resilience about these characters that the actors really manage to convey well.
Summary Thoughts:
“Train Dreams” has picked up Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay (Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar), Cinematography (Adolpho Veloso), and Original Song (Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner). It’s certainly an impressive looking film, but the narrative story never really fully grabbed me. It probably didn’t help that I saw this on the small screen (on Netflix) rather than at the cinema: if I’d had less distractions I might have managed to get more immersed in the (light) storyline.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nk8TrBHOrA.
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