The Station Agent - Film Review

The Station Agent is not your ordinary film. It was written by Thomas McCarthy. It was originally shown at the Sundance Film festival and then on to limited release where it gross 57,000 its opening weekend. It is about a Dwarf who inherits an abandon Train station from his close friend Henry Styles, played by Paul Benjamin. He ends up moving to the newly inherited train station located in Newfoundland, New Jersey. He meets Joe Oramas, the loud snack truck guy. He also meets Olivia Harris. The movie stars Peter Dinklage who plays the 4 foot Finbar McBride. Dinklage is famous for parts in Elf, Underdog and Death at a Funeral to name a few. Finbar is a quiet, withdrawn man who is very fond of trains. The movie is about how three misfits come together and become very close friends.

To start off, this movie is no Hollywood blockbuster that is action packed and leaves you on the edge of your seats. I normal enjoy action movies that are stunt filled and use movie magic to make the impossible seem possible or comedies that will have you laughing the entire time. But, after watching I found that I was drawn into the movie. While watching you can;t help but become very close to each of the characters. Finbar you can't help but feel bad for because he is constantly being stared at because he is a dwarf. Joe you can relate to as being that annoying brother or friend that just want to be around and hang out. I agree with Elvis Mitchell statement about silence. He stated, "Tom McCarthy has such an appreciation for quiet that it occupies the same space as a character in this film, a delicate, thoughtful and often hilarious take on loneliness . . . it's the kind of appetizing movie you want to share with others." The lack of dialog in film in someways adds more to the movie.

Overall I enjoyed this movie and would give it 3 stars. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a different type of movie than we are normaly used to seeing. It brings the audience very close to the characters in the film because we get to see what problems they are facing and how they all become friends in the end. We see Finbar sort of come out of his shell and become less quiet.