Train Dreams (2025) review

Standout sa opening pa lang is yung choice of lens. Ang ganda ng creamy bokeh, giving a dreamlike look, at ang ganda ng separation ng background and foreground. This is apparent for the whole film. Maganda rin ang color grading, giving the film an alive, crystal clear feeling. The HMUA and prosthetics department did a great job papangitin si Felicity Jones and Kerry Condon, though she can’t really hide much of her accent. Ang ganda ng mga shots, parang painting like, and unconventional yung mga framing. Either low angle, isolated sila sa frame, may big head room, or lots of negative space. Nice to see Joel Edgerton, commonly known for his role as Owen Lars in Star Wars II–III, and nice to see William H. Macy here looking really old compared to Boogie Nights. The outdoor shots remind me of The Revenant and Sinners, especially that timely shot where the pink horizon touches the blue sky. Ang ganda ng wildfire sequence. Reminds me of Only the Brave and The Lost Bus. Maganda rin ang mga night shots with bonfire, pure clean black against yellow flickering lighting. This film is about grief and loneliness, and the void of meaning in life when you lose your loved ones. Just waiting for what’s left here for. There’s a meaningful conversation in the latter part of the film where Claire Thompson (Kerry Condon) mentions how even dead trees are just as important as living ones, and that both still contribute to the environment. She also talks about how when you lose someone, you’re often left with more questions than answers, and that when we go through grief, there’s nothing crazy about whatever emotions we feel. I think the large head room is not really for the visuals of the trees and skies, but to show how small we are against the looming sadness of grief and loss. How vulnerable and helpless we are against the crushing weight of emotions inside us. Oh, I hate flashback montages, but here the ups and downs still feel like part of the journey. Feels so beautiful, yet so sad.