[Review] Station Agent
Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 8:39 pm
If the Station Agent proves one thing it's this: Being a midget, much like pimping, ain't easy.
Lot's of people find the short folk inherently funny, and even those who don't still find interacting with them a bit awkward. While I'm all for laughing at people's personal defects it's generally impolite to do so when they're around. In this regard, the Station Agent is largely a comedy of manners, which is nice because up until now I had no idea what a comedy of manners was.
When Finn, the diminutive main character, inherits a plot of land in Newfoundland, NJ, his main motivation for moving out there and living in an abondoned train station is the laywer's announcement that there's "absolutely nothing out there". And presumably no one.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, as I suppose the thesis of the movie would claim) the hot dog guy out there is a gregarious extravert with no one to talk to. Since he has no manners, he forces his present upon Finn. Since Finn is too polite to tell him to go to hell outright, he keeps hanging around. Also present is a woman who keeps accidentally running him down with her car, and starts hanging out with him and the hot dog guy, mostly as a way of apologizing. And another girl who wants to get into his adorably tiny pants.
The characters are great, for the most part. Loads more real then the characters in even a lot of good movies. The guy who plays Finn carries himself with more far more dignity than you'd imagine his stature and sundry insecurities would permit him, thus becoming more than a figure of pity. I found myself liking him, along with everyone else I was supposed to like; even the somewhat vapid post-teen librarian with the unwanted pregnancy and asshole boyfriend. Okay, the fat little black girl was a bit saccharine, but she's not in the movie too much.
A lot of insight is generated into how people socialize. In the beginning the conversations are the horribly awkward sorts of conversations everyone's had at times. Everyone starts getting into trains because Finn's into trains and it's an excuse to give them something to talk about. Later, when they're finally comfortable around each other, trains seem to lose a lot of their fascination.
The movie's funny too, in a very natural sort of way. There are few jokes, as such, but even a throway, out of nowehere line like "horses are cool" inspires bouts of chuckles because it throws so much unintentional insight into what's going on.
The ending comes abruptly but, when it does you realize there's really nothing left to be said. You know how everything's going to play out from there, and you're happy with the way everything's going to play out from there. I'm not sure if I'm entirely satisfied not seeing it, but still it's a valid artistic choice on the part of the filmakers.
All in all a great little movie for one of those days when it's raining like a mother and you're not in the mood to see mutants spooge all over skyscrapers.
STATUS: RECOMMENDED!!
Lot's of people find the short folk inherently funny, and even those who don't still find interacting with them a bit awkward. While I'm all for laughing at people's personal defects it's generally impolite to do so when they're around. In this regard, the Station Agent is largely a comedy of manners, which is nice because up until now I had no idea what a comedy of manners was.
When Finn, the diminutive main character, inherits a plot of land in Newfoundland, NJ, his main motivation for moving out there and living in an abondoned train station is the laywer's announcement that there's "absolutely nothing out there". And presumably no one.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, as I suppose the thesis of the movie would claim) the hot dog guy out there is a gregarious extravert with no one to talk to. Since he has no manners, he forces his present upon Finn. Since Finn is too polite to tell him to go to hell outright, he keeps hanging around. Also present is a woman who keeps accidentally running him down with her car, and starts hanging out with him and the hot dog guy, mostly as a way of apologizing. And another girl who wants to get into his adorably tiny pants.
The characters are great, for the most part. Loads more real then the characters in even a lot of good movies. The guy who plays Finn carries himself with more far more dignity than you'd imagine his stature and sundry insecurities would permit him, thus becoming more than a figure of pity. I found myself liking him, along with everyone else I was supposed to like; even the somewhat vapid post-teen librarian with the unwanted pregnancy and asshole boyfriend. Okay, the fat little black girl was a bit saccharine, but she's not in the movie too much.
A lot of insight is generated into how people socialize. In the beginning the conversations are the horribly awkward sorts of conversations everyone's had at times. Everyone starts getting into trains because Finn's into trains and it's an excuse to give them something to talk about. Later, when they're finally comfortable around each other, trains seem to lose a lot of their fascination.
The movie's funny too, in a very natural sort of way. There are few jokes, as such, but even a throway, out of nowehere line like "horses are cool" inspires bouts of chuckles because it throws so much unintentional insight into what's going on.
The ending comes abruptly but, when it does you realize there's really nothing left to be said. You know how everything's going to play out from there, and you're happy with the way everything's going to play out from there. I'm not sure if I'm entirely satisfied not seeing it, but still it's a valid artistic choice on the part of the filmakers.
All in all a great little movie for one of those days when it's raining like a mother and you're not in the mood to see mutants spooge all over skyscrapers.
STATUS: RECOMMENDED!!