Dom Robinson reviews

Distributed by
Buena Vista Home Video

Cert:

Cat.no: D 881293

Running time: 86 minutes

Year: 2003

Pressing: 2004

Region(s): 2, PAL

Chapters: 21 plus extras

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Languages: English, Italian,

Subtitles: English (and for the hearing-impaired), Italian

Widescreen: 1.85:1

16:9-Enhanced: Yes

Macrovision: Yes

Disc Format: DVD 9

Price: £15.99

Extras: Deleted scenes, Director's Commentary

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Director:
Tom McCarthy

Producers:

Robert May, Mary Jane Skalski and Kathryn Tucker

Screenplay:

Tom McCarthy

Music:

Stephen Trask

Cast:

Finbar McBride: Peter Dinklage
Joe Oramas: Bobby Cannavale
Olivia Harris: Patricia Clarkson
Emily: Michelle Williams
Cleo: Raven Goodwin
Henry Styles: Paul Benjamin
Louis Tiboni: Richard Kind

The Station Agent starts off gently, continues gently, and ends gently. Most of the time.

Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is a dwarf, standing 4'5" tall, who leads a simple life working each day in a shop that sells model trains. He's obsessed by them, reads about them all the time and seems to have little else to occupy his time. When his only friend, and shop owner, Henry, drops dead in the store one day the shop has to close, but Fin is left a small station control depot in his will. The only catch is that it's in Newfoundland, New Jersey, a place the solicitor describes as quiet but... there's nothing out there. However, this suits loner Fin.

What doesn't suit him is when chance encounters with hot-dog stand owner Joe (Bobby Cannavale) and artist Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) lead to more day-to-day general conversation than he had planned for. The question is, does he keep himself to himself because he likes everything 'just so' or does he let them into his life and risk human interaction that can disturb his peace and quiet and dish out the confrontation that the rest of us have to live with on a daily basis?

Well, if he didn't talk to anyone then you wouldn't have much of a film. As the film gets to Newfoundland, Fin's short stature is a surprise for many, and at first his character came across as rather a strange bloke because he walks all the way to his new abode, along the train tracks, instead of taking a train.

We later discover the route he took, and continues to take throughout the movie, is known as a "right of way" but for more info about what this means you'll have to watch it. As you do, you'll enjoy some clever funny and touching moments as three people from different backgrounds find they do have some common ground. Well, four, as Dawson Creek's Michelle Williams appears as librarian Emily, and she has her own problems too.

The Station Agent is a brief but effective exercise in studying loneliness in the individuals who happen to meet each other. It doesn't offer any answers on life, it just shows us how human beings can meet at any junction in their lives and it takes things on in a new, and often unexpected, direction. We'll all find our own way whether it's on our own or with other people, but there are no set rules in life and the important thing is to aim to be doing what makes you happy when you can. And what more can you ask than that?

The film is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen ratio and has no problems whatsoever, which is very good given the fact it was shot on a small budget in Super 16, but the superb framing and the expert cinematography makes the best of the locations and the time of the shoots. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound takes things steady with creating atmosphere most of the time, but brings on some engaging deep bass as they go train-chasing - driving by the trackside as it goes along the railroad and filming it at the same time, along with other sound effects of trains passing.

The extras are scant, though: Five deleted scenes totalling no more than 3½ minutes which expand on earlier scenes slightly but not by much, and a feature-length audio commentary from writer/director Tom McCarthy - here making his debut in both fields - and the three leads. One time they quip that while Fin's depot has no electricity, water and few basic facilities... "he does get TiVo, later on in the sequel"

The main menu cycles some brief sound and a couple of clips from the film, there are 21 chapters and subtitles in English (for the hard of hearing) and Italian.

FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2005.

The following is a list of all the Quentin Tarantino movies online to date (region 2, except where specified) :

2004	Kill Bill Vol.2
2004	Kill Bill Vol.1
2004	Kill Bill Vol.1 (R1 DVD)
2004	Reservoir Dogs: Special Edition
2002	Jackie Brown: Collector's Edition (R1 DVD)
2002	Pulp Fiction: Classic Collection Box Set
2000	Reservoir Dogs

DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.

PC games reviewed by the editor are on: