Genres

Visitors Review

2013-06-16 09:06:41

A Must See

I have to put this movie in the top 3 of my all time favorites. I have watched this movie at least 5 or 6 times and I still think that it is one of the best movies ever made. The friendship that these 3 characters developed was so uplifting and realistic. I can't quite find the words to describe just how I feel about this movie. All I can say is "it is well worth spending the time and/or the money to see/purchase this movie."

Sean Lamberger 2013-06-15 23:22:32

An Over-Cautious Nature Sours its Potential

This felt like a low-budget Wes Anderson film. Lots of awkward silencesand strange character interactions, paired with a plot that's contentto just stroll along in no specific direction, picking and choosing newangles like dandelions growing up between the cracks in the sidewalk.At times it's a very good look at what brings people together and whatsplits them apart, at others a run-of-the-mill ensemble movie withthree very different leading parts. It takes a turn for the serious inthe final act that sours the mojo it had working earlier on, thencoasts to a nondescript anti-ending that just felt like a black screendropped into the middle of a quiet moment.

2013-06-13 14:10:35

Wonderful! Dinklage is great!

I just saw a screener of this film the other night, and I have to say, it is one of the best films of the year! I loved it! Peter Dinklage deserved an Oscar nomination, if not the Oscar itself! His performance was so real, and it connected with you on a certain level, and you just knew how this character felt. Everyone else in the cast was awesome as well. Patricia Clarkson was hilarious and moving, as was Bobby Cannavale who plays the extremely hyper and energetic Joe. All in all, I think that Thomas McCarthy has given us a treasure. It's one of those films like LOST IN TRANSLATION, where you just come away from it feeling so effected by it that you want to watch it all over again to get that same feeling. The scenery and use of atmosphere helps to give you the feel of this film, and it will stick with you soon after the film is over. The score by Stephen Trask is also a plus. I loved it, and I hope its on a CD somewhere. Needless to say, I will be buying the DVD as soon as it hits shelves!HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Thomas J. O'Connor 2013-06-13 05:07:36

Crossroads at the railroad by Thomas J. O'Connor

A lot of what I enjoy in film is embodied within "The Station Agent."It's a well crafted tale of three people who, having isolatedthemselves from wounds of their pasts, collide into each other's lives.We are fortunate to get to witness the beauty that unfolds as a result.The story has a thirtysomething dwarfed man by the name of Fin (PeterDinklage) at its center. Fin has been bequeathed an old railroadstation house in the beautiful landscape of Newfoundland, which hewastes no time pulling up his roots and relocating to. His longtimepreoccupation with his size as well as his skepticism concerningpeople's true interest in him as a man has made Fin inwardly as tiny ashis height, well concealed by his outward bitterness.Providing much of the humor is a Cuban snack vendor named Joe (BobbyCannavale), whose truck does business right at the country roadintersection besides Fin's station house. Joe becomes obsessed withconnecting with Fin, especially after he assumes Fin has managed to wooa very attractive female customer, Olivia (Patricia Clarkson)to bed.Olivia, is a painter with her own pain, which is better left undivulgedhere, as the greatness of the story comes from the discoveries you'llmake.The film has many buoyant moments where laughter lingers into a chucklewhen you recognize the quirky parts of yourself on the screen. When Iam able to see a little bit of myself in the people on screen, I knowmy time has been spent in good company. I love the movies for that.

2013-06-08 11:03:50

run away as fast as you can

This review is from: The Station Agent (Amazon Instant Video) This movie must be a chick flick. It is soooooo slow. I want my money back. Here is the plot . A dwarf meets two people and they hang out and talk. Talk slowly. I could have been cleaning toilets or something useful instead of wasting time on this movie

miketracyuk 2013-06-08 01:29:18

Utterly pointless

After seeing some good reviews of the film, without reading spoilers idecided to watch this bore. What a mistake. The main character, Finn isa completely miserable person and because of this and reading otherusers comments i cant believe how anyone found this a fun orinteresting film. He rarely speaks and i understand why, due to beinglooked down upon by people all his life. What i don't understand is whyit gets awards for simply having a short guy in a terrible transientplot less film. The characters themselves were vaguely interesting buthaving a film with no actual substance to it just seems like a completewaste of time. No comedy no plot no point. If you remotely like actionfilms - avoid. If you like fun films - avoid. If you like delving intoevery aspect of characters on screen without having to worry aboutANYTHING else happening in the film - This is your film and i don'tunderstand you.... 4/10 and thats only for the 2 accidental rundowns.

Chris_Docker 2013-05-31 03:55:05

Beautiful character studies, unhurried but continuously captivating

A story about a man with dwarfism who's hobby is trainspotting doesn'tsound like an inspiring tale, but the Station Agent is a remarkableachievement in making it just that. Relocating to a fairly remote areawhere he has inherited some property, the main character becomes verypopular - not because of his cute dwarfism, but because he exhibits aninner strength that enables people to eventually see past his physicaldeformity. Superb acting by all the cast, and wonderful contrastsbetween their inner lives and the outer personas they use to deal withthe everyday superficialities of the world (including meeting newpeople). The film is beautiful, uplifting, realistic, without everbecoming cheesy or moralising. A joy to behold.

2013-05-30 13:10:00

LOVED it

This review is from: The Station Agent [HD] (Amazon Instant Video) IF you want a feel good movie, this is it.If you want a alternative viewpoint movie, this is it.If you want to see people fight for a friend despite the friend, this is it.It starts out with that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you see someone is NOT happy - does NOT have a happy life.It ends - well I don't want to tell the ending so I won't.

John Foster 2013-05-16 23:32:32

And now for something completely different!

This was a delightfully different movie... it had a slow pace, fewcharacters, limited dialogue, sparse soundtrack, and came in under 90minutes... a stark contrast to the typical blockbuster nowadays! Andyet it was entertaining and conveyed a powerful message. What morecould we ask for? The two central characters are dealing with loss and grief and aretrying to work through their pain by isolating themselves from others.The third character is an extrovert protagonist who just won't letthings be. This novel triangle leads to many interesting situations.Oh, and this movie could have a special appeal to people who liketrains.And if you liked this movie, you might also like 'Love Seranade'(1996).

2013-05-16 10:54:05

The Station Agent has been one of the best films I have seen all year!

We each have our differences. Some remain hidden from view, others are asplain as day. Each of us has a blot on the surface: a unit of measurementused by the superficial and witless. It takes a true friend to see belowthesurface and see what makes each of us special in our own way. Howeverwellyou think you know yourself you can never be whole without friendship,forfriendship is the mirror with which you gauge yourself.This film uses no gimmicks and no frills to try to win the audience. Itis apure example of the power of cinema at its best: great storytelling,multidimensional characters, and wonderful acting. Anyone seekingdefinitions for a great movie, whether for aspirations of movie making orfor sophisticated conversation should take note of The StationAgent.Austen Hoogen, filmmaker.

2013-04-15 00:03:09

Simple and brilliant

A coffee truck, an abandoned train depot, a tavern and a parking lot unlikely settings for one of the best acting performances I have ever seen. What a display of talent. Touched my heart and it proves again and again that simple dialogue with real life stories when performed by excellent actors is the recipe for success. A movie I will treasure forever. The absolute number 1 addition to my movie collection.

2013-04-14 10:48:59

Sweetest Story Ever

This review is from: The Station Agent (DVD) For once there is a movie that has a begging, a middle, and a happy ending. And.....no sex, just friendship. A moving story of tragedy and friendship amongst three very different people. Very enjoyable. Wish there was a sequel to this movie. An enjoyable movie for everyone. Loved it.

2013-04-06 13:44:17

Not for everybody, but GREAT if it's for you

I saw this film several times on IFC and was taken with its quietness as well as its point of view. For those who say the film is dull and lacking a plot, I say that they missed the film's point. This is a film whose plot envelops the viewer as opposed to develops; the viewer has to trust the story. Its strength is in its subtlety.And there are good reasons to trust the film. The acting is superb as is the cast. The direction plays up the film's inherent strengths without overpowering it. One Amazon reviewer referred to this film as a compelling character study and I wholeheartedly agree. The film is a quiet character study. Those who confuse "quiet" with "boring" miss so much. There is a world of difference between them. "The Station Agent" is quiet, compelling, and a treat to watch.

MsLiz 2013-04-05 20:10:07

Even better than I expected

I heard the comments, I read the reviews, but actually seeing TheStation Agent was even better than I had expected. I watched it in alibrary--and it was almost a full house for the showing tonight. At theend there was a burst of applause. I watch movies in libraries quiteoften, but I can't remember the last time I heard applause when themovie was over.Another movie (Lost in Translation is in this group) which doesn'tsettle for the oh-too-obvious "fall in love" clichés, and presentssupportive friendship as a worthwhile choice. I think that workingtowards friendship is a tremendous possibility (and never one that youhave to regret in the morning)!

Venarde 2013-03-29 22:09:03

Exquisite near-masterpiece

A totally winning character study in which each of the three main charactershas major troubles with trust and friendship. The stature of Fin,brilliantly played by Peter Dinklage, is the most obvious obstacle to"normality," but Patricia Clarkson's Olivia and Bobby Cannavale's Joe havetheir own less obvious limitations. Dinklage is astonishing and Clarksonand Cannavale are marvelous -- such emotionally raw and at the same timevery funny performances are a total joy to watch. Three major supportingactors also do a great job. The movie doesn't know quite how to end, butthat's a minor matter given the riches that come before the credits rolls. A unique gem.

jp1713 2013-03-29 12:26:28

Everybody Just Stay Calm

The truth is that this is a solid effort, but that because of the *relative*dearth of good movies, TSA - by comparison - provides those who hunger forgood films, indie or not, with ammo.Here are the truths of TSA as I see them:1) The strengths of TSA outweigh the weaknesses;2) The strengths of TSA are: The acting, directing of theactors.3) The weaknesses are: The screenplay, which falters in the second half byattempting to "make things happen" for the sake of, seemingly, "makingthings happen."4) The ability to remain truly independent and make the film - off thebeaten path for sure, for better or worse - that Tom McCarthy wanted tomake.There are moments of the first half that sparkle with "the ineffable stuffof life." That "stuff" completely missing from the Hollywoodfactory.It's called a heartbeat. Or heart. Or soul. Whatever, it's present inthis movie, justifies its presence as a work of art, and makes it allworthwhile.

2013-03-25 03:09:33

Item Not What I Wanted

This review is from: The Station Agent (DVD) I sent for this DVD because I thought the movie was charming and wanted to share it with others. I found to my disappointment that this DVD could only be played on a COMPUTER...not the usual DVD player most people have...therefore I was not able to share it with people without a computer...and I don't care to watch it on my computer either. It is a loss. There should have been some distinction noted to inform me about this.

2013-03-24 11:48:39

fresh look at old theme

Charting the development of friendship between three outsiders, the story ofTHE STATION AGENT occupies territory through which Tennessee Williams,William Inge and Carson McCullers once moved. The highly stylized work ofthose earlier authors is here balanced by careful and compassionateobservation. The performances are terrific. The photography is excellent.The only slight blemish is a sudden narrative rush in the closing fifteenminutes: events crowd in at a pace that feels quite artificial aftereverything that's gone before. But all in all, it's a first-rate movie,worthy of all the praise it's garnered. Good to know that an independentmovie like this can find success.

Polaris_DiB 2013-03-20 18:15:44

"I'm just a boring guy..."

You have probably seen Peter Dinklage before, but you probably don'tknow his name. Most people refer to him as "that one dwarf guy... no,not Warwick Davis, the other one." He's a pretty common supportingactor and typically plays comedic roles like a person confused as anelf in Elf. This movie, though, is where he gets to be the lead andshow off that he's a good actor too... which he is a very good actor,and this is a very good movie.Dinklage plays Finbar, a reclusive train enthusiast who inherits atrain station from his dead boss. Finbar only wants to escape from theprying eyes of the world that doesn't understand him and enjoy his timenear trains. Unfortunately, instead of prying eyes he finds friends.Poor Finbar is invaded by two dysfunctional characters, a needyattention-seeking Cuban refreshment cart operator and an abandoned andguilt-ridden woman, who turn out to be just the people to providelight, happiness, and family to his normally annoyed and bedraggledlife.There are about a thousand "small movies with heart" out there, but fewof them are as good as this one. All of the characters feel real andtheir emotions are effective, and Finbar's admittance that "I'm justanother guy, a really boring person" shows how often we replace "quirkycharacters" with "interesting". The fact is, all of the main charactersare normal and ostensibly boring, but once you crack their outer shellsthey're just looking for someone to share some quiet time with.Unfortunately for Finbar, once he finally starts getting comfortablewith his new friends, drama descends and he finds himself having tosave them.There's really not much more to it, which is nice because its sorealized that that's all you need. The Station Agent is a tidy dramawith a lot of weight. Highly recommended.--PolarisDiB

2013-03-19 22:26:52

Started As An Assignment...

I'm picky and usually unwilling to try new things. So when I had to watch this movie for a film class, I--with a deep sigh--went out to Blockbuster and rented the movie, put it in my DVD player--adding one more sigh, in case the point hasn't been made--and began to watch the movie, ready to take notes on all the technical aspects and whatnot. I was so engrossed in the film by the time ten minutes had passed that I was ready to abandon my assignment (the note taking) and simply enjoy the movie. It would be easy to say that the every day struggles of a dwarf, or any `little person' for that matter, makes up the drama in "The Station Agent." There certainly would be enough evidence to back it up: Kids make fun of Finn (the main character, who happens to be a dwarf), adults--sometimes--do not notice him, and when they do, they often embarrass him; they take pictures of him and even heckle him the same way that children do. However, when one looks deeper into the movie, they can see that the movie makes a statement on communication: No one knows how to properly communicate with Finn--or other people like him--properly, which has convinced him to become a withdrawn person.I'm certainly not going to give anything away, but I'll tell you this. Two characters are introduced into Finn's life that cause... maybe FORCE is a better term...him to open up, to show them who he truly is. It makes for a funny, touching, and inspiring drama. The writing and the direction is top notch, each line and each shot conscious of the theme of the film and furthering what can only be described as an intense character study of Finn and the people who surround him.For anyone wanting an enjoyable movie with a very tight story, centered not on action or melodrama, but a subtle look into the life of a man named Finn McBride, I recommend this film. I not only enjoyed it, but I also took something out of it: I'm going to be more open-minded with my choices in the future, because I wound up being very glad that I had experienced this movie.9/10