Train Dreams Is a Staggering Work of Art
Joel Edgerton portrays Robert Grainier, a man whose life story becomes increasingly captivating as he matures. Originally an orphan, he settles in a quaint Idaho town around the turn of the century and spends most of his existence working as a choker, sawyer, and logger. His labor contributes to the felling of trees for the war effort in the 1910s and the development of America’s expanding railways and infrastructure. Along this journey, he develops feelings for Gladys Oakley (Felicity Jones), a strong-willed, attractive woman, constructs a cabin, and starts a family. Grainier may not be well-educated or inclined towards romanticism or introspection. Yet, while lying next to Gladys on the banks of the Moyie river, he muses, “I could almost comprehend everything there is.