Fantasia 2006: Train Man

[bryant]

Awwww! Train Man! Awwwwwww!

OK, that was the sweetest little romantic comedy ever. Sort of like a Douglas Coupland novel without the reflexive defensive snarkiness, or like Megatokyo without the self-loathing. As S. pointed out, the characters were all treated with respect, even our adorable otaku (who should be played by Jason Schwartzman in the inevitable remake). It’s a nice love story that doesn’t depend on coincidence or amusing accident to move it along.

Also, and I think most appealing, it’s as much a story about the community that helps Train Man to his beloved as it is a story about the two of them — which is to say, they have equal importance. The Greek chorus of bulletin board users who give Train Man advice are given weight, personality, and characteristics of their own, which make them a real community rather than a plot device. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the whole movie was the clever staging business between Professional Man and Mac Girl. Nice and understated and eloquent.

Grade: A+.

[Crossposted from Population: One; go here for the original post.]