Dream a Little Dream of Trees - My Quick Review of Clint Bentley's TRAIN DREAMS

*There will be some mild spoilers throughout* 

One thing I kept hearing about Train Dreams as reviews kept pouring in was how much the style of the film was invoking the vibe of Terrence Malick.

While I would admit that Malick's recent output hasn't been of the same level as films he's made in decades past, I do hold Malick's work in high regard: Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and The Tree of Life are all truly stellar works and he manages to weave the most fascinating of stories; even turning something of a Harlequin Romance into a work of art (Days of Heaven).

Coming out of Sundance back in January 2025, Train Dreams was the follow up of writer/director Clint Bentley and his partner Greg Kwedar, who were behind one of my favorite films from 2024: Sing Sing. 

One word I keep hearing regarding the vibe of Train Dreams is that it's a "meditation", and yes, that is very much apt. These are films that can drive up passionate fervor with people saying it "broke me" and it left them thinking about their life...while others might say, "this is absolutely the most nothing and boring movie I've ever seen in my life".

There is even one review on Letterboxd I read that more or less conveyed that last thought above and then added: "So of course, it will likely win Best Picture!"

I am here to tell you that Train Dreams, great film or not, will not be winning Best Picture this year but there is a chance it could slip into the final 10. However, do I actually feel that it would be worthy of such a placement?

Here comes the contrarian, but no. I am not here to fully bash Trains Dreams, but I was sadly not as moved by this one.

Set in the early 20th century (with a significant portion of the film occurring around the timeline of the previously mentioned Days of Heaven no less), we follow the life of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a man who had been orphaned as a child and had an aimless young adulthood until he meets a woman named Gladys (Felicity Jones). They get married, build a cabin along the Moyie River in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and eventually have a daughter named Kate.

In order to support his family, Robert begins working for the Spokane International Railway but becomes a bit unnerved when he sees a group of white men throw a Chinese immigrant over the bridge for seemingly no good reason. He begins having nightmares and visions of this man while also dreaming of getting hit by a train.

Robert then takes up seasonal work as a logger, which does take him away for long periods, but he is still shaken by the danger of the work and also when of his close colleagues Arn (William H. Macy) is eventually killed by a falling branch. 

I will leave the synopsis there, but the film does proceed throughout the many years of Robert's life but admittedly, I found myself not feeling as invested as I would've hoped. I am willing to watch as many moody and quiet and delicate and meditative films that come along...as I often state, my favorite filmmaker is Ingmar Bergman after all...but there is a fine line to making subject matter like this pop.

In terms of visuals, the cinematography is gorgeous, and I will say that Joel Edgerton does some truly beautiful work here. It might even be my favorite performance he has given, so to be fair, the film isn't without its high merits. I would even argue I feel a tad more positive about it now compared to immediately after I watched it a couple of days ago. 

I will say though that the film does have one aspect that I found particularly grating: a narrator. Bentley and Kwedar use character actor Will Patton as a narrator simply telling us the story of Robert but a lot of the time, I feel like the narration became intrusive or unnecessary. In many ways, I felt the scenes on screen spoke for themselves and it also seemed like an insult to Edgerton who didn't need the unseen Greek Chorus to convey to us what was going on in his mind. Even if the narration was to explain a bit more about his life leading up to adulthood, there were ways to do it without resorting to that trope. 

I do have to wonder if this is a film that would grow on me over time, because I did even admit that I feel a tad more positive towards since viewing it. However, I am just not sure this one was much of a success...but I will also gladly own up to the fact that I seem to be in the minority here.

I would recommend watching it for that reason because I do think films like this should be embraced even if they don't always work. At the very least, you get a truly wonderful Joel Edgerton performance to guide you and some of the best visuals you'll see in a film this year. Then again, film isn't just about pretty visuals...but thankfully the film does offer a little more than that.

TRAIN DREAMS

Rating: 6.5/10