Review of The Station Agent (2003) by Random C — 21 May 2010

HIDDEN TREASURE.

If you want to chill out after a frantic day or just watch a great movie, try 'The Station Agent' (2003) in case you haven't done so already. I stumbled upon it by sheer accident but honestly cannot praise this relatively unknown, absolutely endearing and remarkable film enough.

I really love the way it quietly and unobtrusively relates the story of a highly unlikely friendship between 3 vastly different people - can't-everyone-just-leave-me-alone Fin, please-talk-to-me-cos-I'm-so-bored Joe and I'm-not-sure-what-to-make-of-my-life-anymore Olivia - perfectly complemented by a charming rural railway backdrop, beautifully captured music and nostalgia-inducing walks along the tracks...

In the art of movie making, something I've always been curious about and fascinated by is how characters are 'made' likeable or otherwise. I am aware there are established ways of doing so in terms of ensuring the character's needs, views, emotions, conflicts and so on are portrayed to the audience with a view to eliciting empathy and connection. Regardless, the task of translating these 'rules' and 'theories' into remarkable lifelike people on celluloid who arose strong reactions in us remains, in my view, an enviable skill!