The Station Agent (2003)

Having heard so much good about this film I was disappoinnted by how mundane and uninteresting it was. The plot is all very familiar and there are no real moments of excitementment of surprise. The jokes are very repetitive. The cast don a fine job. However, the characters are poorly written and despite the good acting I never really became attached to any of the characters. The film is also very short and seems rushed. All in all, this film is just fine, but nothing extraordinary and not very enjoyable.

When his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss. The Station Agent benefits from excellent work from Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Williams. The film's script is simple and so it's it's story, the characters are very likable and funny too, the movie showcases great messages also about friendship, love and basically the meaning of not being alone in life and continuing moving forward despite the problems that we're facing. Definitely an indie film that doesn't disappoint and people will see that for sure. (A+)

"The Station Agent" is NOT a film that many folks would enjoy. However, if you are VERY patient and lower your expectations a bit, it might be worth seeing. Now I know this is certainly not a glowing endorsement...so read on and perhaps you'll understand what I mean.The film begins with Fin (Peter Dinklage) receiving a deceased friend's property in rural New Jersey. The place turns out to be an old abandoned train station and Fin moves there. Oddly, you never learn through the course of the film how Fin affords to live as you never see him working once he moves to the country.Fin is a very withdrawn guy who is uncomfortable around people and no doubt this is at least in part due to him being a dwarf. Folks stare at him, don't quite know how to act around him and sometimes act very invasively towards him (such as the lady in the convenience store snapping pictures of him). Fin keeps them at a distance by engaging with people as little as possible. Inexplicably, despite not being a very nice or talkative person, an odd young man, Joe (Bobby Cannavale) befriends him--even with Fin doesn't do anything to indicate he wants a friend. Soon, Fin also inexplicably gains another initially unwanted friend, Olivia (Patricia Clarkson). How can these strange and seriously damaged people somehow forge friendships together?The film has lots of quiet moments...with the actors saying very, very little. Staring and sitting in silence (or with Joe talking as the other two say nothing) is much of the film...and you really have to be willing to accept this. Additionally, when the movie is over, the thing just ends--there is no real clear ending! It's more a slice of life film that meanders...about some screwed up people, that's for sure.

One of the great independent films of 2003 and one of my personal favorites, "The Station Agent" introduces us to the exceptionally talented Peter Dinklage. Although upon first impression most people will only notice his 4 foot 5 inch frame, his deeply brooding and thoughtful performances rival any actor working today. Finbar McBride, or Fin, is a solitary man who works at a hobby shop repairing and working with model trains. One day his friend and the stores owner Henry falls over dead, presumably of a heart attack. Fin is lost in despair, Henry however has left him a small but abandoned depot station to him in his will. With nothing tying him down Fin moves into to the Newfoundland depot station. Just across the way is an oddly placed food truck called Gorgeous Franks and its lone operator Joe, played by Bobby Cannavale. Joe is a friendly and energetic man who's intrigued by Fin arrival. Although not looking to make friends Fin eventually comes around and allows him to hang around with him. Also upon arrival Fin has a few run ins with Olivia, played by Patricia Clarkson. She doesn't make that good a first or second impression for that matter as she almost runs him over with her car, twice. Olivia is a friendly but slightly frantic, painter who is separated from her rich husband, Joe however has had his eye on her for quite some time.Writer and director Tom McCarthy creates this world for these characters that is based in small town reality. Fin has a number of encounters with a curious little African American girl as well as a possible girlfriend in the form of the young and beautiful librarian, played by Michelle Williams. Although the heart of the story is the relationship between the three friend Fin, Joe, and Olivia. All are damaged in their own way and looking for something real. Finn fights with loneliness and alienation, while the return of Olivia's husband throws her life into an angry spiral. Joe is full of life and charisma, but misses his son, who lives with his mother. "The Station Agent" is a wonderful film, skillfully acted on all fronts with a deeply heartfelt story of a marginalized man trying to find his place in the world.Although a lot of people now know Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on "Game of Thrones", please take a moment to watch "The Station Agent".