Train Dreams

Director: Clint Bentley
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy, Will Patton, Nathaniel Arcand, John Diehl, Paul Schneider, Clifton Collins Jr., Alfred Hsing
Running Time: 102 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)  

Clint Bentley's unforgettable Train Dreams is about a seemingly ordinary man plagued by the feeling something terrible will happen. Though he has a dangerous job, it isn't risky in ways we'd typically expect, even as death surrounds him at every turn, waiting indiscriminately for the next opportunity to strike. Without so much as a hint of manipulation, the film deliberately unfolds, and while hauntingly beautiful to look at, there's also a constant sense of dread hanging over the story that just won't go away. And it isn't long before we discover why. 

Its measured, evocative pacing may prompt complaints from detractors claiming the film "doesn't go anywhere" or lacks a narrative drive, but those fortunate enough to get on its wavelength will discover the most powerful of cinematic experiences. Based on Denis Johnson's 2011 novella of the same title, it features a protagonist who could easily represent the hundreds of thousands who worked, lived and struggled to survive in a previous era, only to be forgotten by history. But through him, Bentley's able to show how everyone's stories and contributions can carry over generations, whether they're openly acknowledged or not.  

It's the start of the twentieth century when orphaned child Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) arrives in Idaho on the Great Northern Railway, eventually dropping out of school to work as a railroad laborer. But his fortunes change when he meets Gladys Olding (Felicity Jones) at church and they form an instant connection, marrying and settling in a riverside log cabin with new baby daughter Kate. 

When Robert takes a construction job with the Spokane International Railway, he's not just dismayed by long stretches away from his family, but traumatized after watching the brutal, senseless murder of a Chinese crew member (Alfred Hsing). Haunted by nightmarish visions of the immigrant, he takes up seasonal logging work, which exposes him to colorful personalities like ornery fellow logger Arn Peeples (William H. Macy). Witnessing further tragedy on the job and facing financial hardship, Robert makes plans with Gladys to build a lumber mill and work closer to home. But the worst still awaits, unexpectedly altering his life's trajectory.

A character study from birth to death, Bentley's script (co-written with Greg Kwedar) and direction is effortless in capturing the serene rhythms of everyday, whether that's scenes of Robert and Gladys marking the location of their future home or the inescapable darkness that descends upon him in the film's second half. It's an event of such magnitude that it doesn't seem real for a shattered Robert who's constantly alone, regardless of whether he has any company. And even in the few precious moments he's able to appreciate what surrounds him, he sees a world he no longer recognizes or fits into.

Edgerton delivers the best work of his career, carrying lengthy, languid sequences while silently registering the emotional agony across Robert's bearded, aging face. When given a screen partner to bounce off or react to, he still manages to convey a sense of complete isolation, becoming this withdrawn observer to his own existence. But if the literary voiceover is correct in assuming the best anyone can hope for is to be remembered, there's still more than a few people willing to vouch for him. 

Most memorable is the gruff, sarcastic Arn, who's played by an unrecognizable William H. Macy in a transcendent performance that's short on minutes but immeasurable in impact. Hiding behind a thick, gray mustache, smoking his pipe and speaking with a distinctive backwoods drawl, he's a brutally honest storyteller with the heart of a philosopher. And while a whole separate film could focus entirely on him, that would undermine his primary purpose as the kind of kooky, fascinating character who exits our lives as quickly as he appears, leaving behind a lasting impression along with some indispensable nuggets of wisdom.  

Time stands still as Robert attempts to make sense of it all, sleeping in the rain while tormented by his own guilt at being unable to stop the unstoppable. Sympathetic shop owner Ignatius (Nathaniel Arcand), scrapes the logger up at his lowest, helping him reenter a society far different than anything he's known. Faced with the cruel reality his logging days have passed, he'll find work as a local carriage driver, meeting a kind free spirit in Forest Service surveyor Claire (Kerry Condon). 

Eerily invoking a great American novel, Patton's narration is soothing, unobtrusive and plain spoken all at once, as if hearing an echo from the distant past. And in painting a vivid portrait of the Pacific Northwest with natural light, Adolpho Veloso's cinematography evokes memory and nostalgia that's only accentuated by a hypnotizing score from The National's Bryce Dessner. All these elements converge to create an ethereal aesthetic that earns justifiable comparisons to Terrence Malik's Days of Heaven and The Tree of Life. 

Despite many deserved accolades, Bentley's film has managed to fly under the radar in the midst of showier competition, which isn't an indicator of its quality. If anything, a muted reception is more appropriately aligned with the contemplative journey depicted on screen. Quietly anchored by an actor who hasn't gotten nearly enough accolades, it feels like a micro masterpiece observed over a single lifetime and somehow squeezed into 102 minutes. But what a trip it is. Filled with joy, despair, hope and tragedy, the film's final few minutes hit hard, lingering in our minds long after the credits roll. 

Armageddon Time

Director: James Gray
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, Anthony Hopkins, Tovah Feldshuh, Ryan Sell, John Diehl, Jessica Chastain, Andrew Polk
Running Time: 115 min.
Rating: R 

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

While watching writer/director James Gray's semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age drama Armageddon Time, it's almost impossible not to subconsciously think of Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. But even as both respected filmmakers' childhoods are defined by complicated relationships with their Jewish families, there are key differences. This is more intimate, dryer and less showy than Spielberg's effort, which isn't necessarily a put down. And with the exception of a couple of cameos sure to stir debate, it's not nearly as eccentric. A subdued experience that functions as a time capsule of early eighties New York, it's also a project that transcends the director's own nostalgia to convey larger points about inequality and prejudice. 

Gray deserves credit for making this less about him than how a kid his age viewed a changing world. Known for smaller character driven pieces, it snuggly fits into his filmography, and since Gray isn't the public figure Spielberg is, it feels like less of an event. But that works well in managing viewer expectations, enabling us to more easily lose ourselves in the story and performances. Despite a downbeat tone, the care and attention to detail make it a comfortable universe to reside in for nearly two hours, as its young leads convey an authentic friendship that's tested by the biases surrounding them.  

It's 1980 in Queens, New York and on his first day of sixth grade, Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) befriends a rebellious African-American student named Johnny Davis (Jaylin Webb), who was held back a year. When the two start getting into trouble, Johnny receives the brunt of the blame, while Paul's ambitions of becoming an artist are scoffed at by his caring but strict Jewish parents, Irving (Jeremy Strong) and Esther (Anne Hathaway). Only grandfather Aaron Rabinowitz (Anthony Hopkins) encourages his artistic pursuits and dispenses sage advice, while still acknowledging he has some growing up to do.

When the two boys are caught smoking a joint in the school restroom, Paul is sent to the same private school as his older brother Ted (Ryan Sell), trying to fit in as he and Johnny's bond is challenged by the move. Feeling burdened by the weight of his parents' lofty expectations, Paul soon realizes just how much his friend's perilous situation is dictated by outside forces far beyond their control.   

Shot in this brownish, old timey hue by cinematographer Darius Khondji, it sometimes feels as if this takes place earlier than 1980, with references to the Beatles and just a general feeling that Paul's being guided into conforming to the standards of his parents and grandparents' generation rather than his own. Some of the best scenes are at school, with him and Johnny immediately forging a friendship based on shared interests and a penchant for creating chaos. 

The story reaches a point that that you start wondering whether the adults are inadvertently pouring gasoline on the fire, with the kids' behavior worsening with each new warning or consequence. We also get the impression that they're being held to entirely different standards, with many believing Paul's been corrupted by this new black kid in class. That both could be equally responsible rarely crosses anyone's minds, leading to even uglier consequences later on.

Paul dreams of becoming an artist and Johnny intends to work for NASA, but both are discouraged at every turn, which is ironic considering how anyone today would be impressed a pair sixth graders have such grand ambitions at all. But these goals are really only attainable for Paul, who's white. Johnny has no parents and lives with his grandmother, while his more privileged, connected friend has a mom on the school board and a hard working father with high standards. Young actors Repeta and Webb are extremely likable in their roles, even when doing unlikable things. And is this gets progressively heavier, both are up to the task, subtly projecting a potential in their characters that flies over the heads of these authority figures.    

Anthony Hopkins makes the most out of his supporting role as the boy's pragmatic grandfather, a wise, empathetic figure who stands in stark contrast to Paul's dad, or so we think. It's revealed just how much the pressure of living up to that example weighs on Irving, with a performance from Jeremy Strong that only becomes more nuanced as the film progresses, establishing the character as someone more than a strict disciplinarian who reaches for the strap every time Paul tests him. 

Hathaway is effortless in her part, sliding into Gray's early 80's universe as a working mother  contemplating conflicted feelings of concern and uncertainty over the right way to handle their son's behavior. Paul fears the beating of his young life when his dad discovers his worst transgression yet, only to realize that's preferable to the actual punishment, which involves a transfer to Forest Manor Prep in Queens. This leads to a face-to-face encounter with the school's primary financial donor, a mustachioed businessman by the name of Fred Trump (John Diehl). 

If that wasn't enough, Paul even sits through a speech by Fred's daughter and school alumna Maryanne Trump (Jessica Chastain). So even if it may be more interesting to watch a documentary detailing Gray's conversation with the Oscar winner about taking the role, this apparently happen, as the family's involvement at Forest Manor during this time is quite real. Their brief inclusion, as shocking as it is, does seem less about them than what they represent. Fred's most infamous son may not be in it, but Gray's intentions still come across loud and clear.

Maryanne's motivational talk foreshadows the film's ending, even if Gray has a tougher time directly tying that to the featured news clips of Ronald Reagan, who takes more of a thrashing here than the Trumps, as he's frequently mocked by Paul's liberal, minded parents. This all makes it sound like a political film when the intention is really to point out the uneven playing field Johnny continuously endures.

For certain people to succeed, others are inevitably thrown under the bus, and the best Irving can do for his son is make him acutely aware of it, preparing him for the inevitability that life's more unfair for some than others. There's a moment in the last act where Gray has an easy out, but instead decides to go a step further and write the characters into a corner that forces them and the viewers to confront harsher realities. It's through this that Paul realizes just how fortunate he is and how you sometimes take the lucky break, no matter how bad or wrong it feels. 

At its core, Armageddon Time is a period piece about kids who just want to be kids, despite having little wiggle room to learn, grow or make mistakes. And unfortunately for one, there's no room whatsoever. The hypothesis Gray eventually reaches is something we know, but isn't often expressed through a child's perspective. It's blunt but effective, leaving a lasting impression that sure to receive criticism better reserved for films far less accomplished at handling the tricky material this does. Gray walks a thin line in attempting to draw parallels between his childhood and the world today, but he mostly pulls off, enveloping us in a deeply personal story that suggests far broader implications.