Train Station

Just a fantastic film. Deserves to be seen again and again. Its a start of a new genre in cinema. Multiple directors from different parts of the world telling a single story in a unique way. A must watch for film lovers. Train Station is a surreal and unique journey of a single character who is never called by a name in the film, he is dressed in brown and that is how you know it's the same character changing as the demography of the story changes. The film is about the journey this character takes that starts from the 'train station'. This also has some very beautiful seamless transition in editing. Even though the main character changes its sex, age, country, the story still feels a single unit because of its editing.

After witnessing Todd Solondz's PALINDROMES, I thought I had seen it all: A story about one girl but told with 7 or 8 different actors (of all ages/sizes/races/genders) portraying the girl during different emotional times in her life. It blew me away and I loved the conceit; it sparked many a long and interesting conversation among others who had seen the film. Then I saw CollabFeature's TRAIN STATION. Nothing could prepare me for this rich, layered, beautiful experiment in filmmaking history. Similar to PALINDROMES, the story follows one person, the Man in Brown, as his journey plays out in 40 different alternate universes, switching locations around the globe in a split second but not breaking the momentum, only propelling it forward. The film was created collaboratively online and most of the 40 directors have never even met. Together, they helped develop the plot and characters and then each filmed his or her segment and then it was delicately put together creating complete awesomeness. It's an insightful cultural smorgasbord and has the vibe of RUN LOLA RUN or SLIDING DOORS, with a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure kinda feel to it. Always intriguing and often surprising, TRAIN STATION can only keep the viewer guessing as it chugs along its international trek, covering the grounds of dozens of filmmakers from around the world who have individually come together to create a single, beautiful and intricate work of art.

This is a very original and unique piece of art and entertainment. A very challenging and interesting idea, where the protagonist is played by different actors in different countries. It could easily dive into a wave of confusion to the audience but it's completely understandable, and it has a powerful and seductive storytelling. Although it's directed and produced in very different places around the world, by different teams, it still has a coherence that any good film must have, and also with the bonus of this multicultural diversity throughout the film. This is the second time Collabfeature makes a film in these terms. But the first the plot was led by a backpack that would o from hand to hand "by chance", and would take us to micro worlds, or situations, of characters that not always were intertwined. So although very interesting and funny, it was still, a backpack. Here having a protagonist, very characterized, 3 dimensional with all his different aspects of personality, we are more easily driven to the world of the character and the needs of the character. And like in any good classic storytelling, although he jumps into an adventure with many obstacles, we never forget the premise "there is a train he needs to catch, will he catch it?" Probably the beginning of a new era of filmmaking.

Innovative and entertaining, this film rocks. It keeps you engaged, as the pace, the scenery, and the actors are constantly changing, though the story is consistent and well-told. Just when you think you know where the story is heading, it goes in the opposite direction, then back to the opposite of the opposite direction. It makes you pay attention, makes you think, and afterward, you'll feel like taking a moment to absorb it all. It's funny, sad, freaky, it has a bit of a lot. The diversity of the filmmakers and styles makes this film worth watching. It's impressive that so many filmmakers from all around the world worked together to piece this project together. I look forward to future Collab projects.

Watching the trailer, I know this is not going to be an artsy or high value movie but out of curiosity, I still watch it. I wonder what's the idea of those "choices" and even if the movie is bad, I hope I can still see 25 cities or train stations. It turn out NONE ! There are no major surprise in the plots or the "choices", nothing that ties up all the choices, some acting are horrible, especially the young Asian Chinese pair, hardly any outdoor scenes where I can see the cities, no train station scenes other than some close up ticketing counters. I give it a 5 just for its "idea" although there is nothing interesting or intelligent about it.