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.
