All right, I'm digging on this Kelly Reichardt lady. Second film of hers I've seen, also the second which has a nice bit of Portland footage which is always a nice bonus. Wendy and Lucy follows in the minimalist tone of Old Joy of having a lot of looks and silence. It depicts Michelle Williams or Wendy as she attempts to move up to Alaska with her dog Lucy. She gets stranded in Portland when her car breaks down. More problems arise as she is arrested for shop lifting and she loses track of Lucy. In the film we manage to see a lot of characters living on the fringe. People just scraping by, only doing slightly better than Wendy herself. Perhaps one of my favorite touches was the security guard, a benefactor for Wendy throughout the film, offers her some parting cash. While the sum is treated as a lot, it turns out to be only a few dollars. I don't think I liked it as much as Old Joy probably having something to do with the unending sadness throughout the film, never really feeling much of a lift at any point. But I won't say that's a bad thing. It's a captivating enough film and I did connect with it, just not as much I suppose. The endings IS sad, but there's something terribly reasonable and almost happy about it. But certainly not happy enough to not feel bummed out by the time the credits roll.
Will Oldham! YOU ARE CRAZY!
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