Review of Wendy and Lucy (2008) by Max S — 24 May 2009
After re-watching "Wendy and Lucy", I noticed all the small subtleties I knew were there the first time, in a more fully realized state. This film is so beautifully simple and quietly unsettling, I can't believe it was so overlooked last year.
Michelle Williams gives such a quietly observed performance, so beautiful and nuanced, it turns out to be one of the best performances of the decade. She holds us in her grip every moment of the film.
She owns the close-up without ever "acting at" a feeling, like a lot of her peers. She cements herself as one of the best working actresses today and the best of her generation. I hate to use this term for films because it often becomes overused and pretentious, but this film really is so important to film itself and the way we look at our society today.
It acknowledges social and economic issues we face today without becoming preachy or overly-topical, unlike the borderline incompetent Los Angeles fairy tale "Crash", perhaps the most overrated film in the history of cinema, this side of "Slumdog Millionaire".
"Wendy and Lucy" makes mince-meat of those overrated Oscar winners, making them look like amateurs compared to Kelly Reichardt's careful, wise filmmaking. Watching Wendy search for her dog, Lucy, could become tedious and unimportant to some filmgoers, but Reichardt and Williams work together so meticulously to show how such simple issues can become our entire world.
How a broken down car can alter our immediate reality so drastically and how a simple can of dog food can make or break us financially. The film shows the ugliness and disconnectedness of our world today, while simultaneously displaying the optimistic future and the profound feeling of seeing someone reach out a helping hand and just be decent.
It's a film that, while intentionally slow-paced, must be watched more than once to find all those beautiful nuances hidden throughout. It's a film I highly recommend to anyone who loves character-driven filmmaking and quietly powerful acting.
This review of Wendy and Lucy (2008) was written by Max S on 24 May 2009.
Wendy and Lucy has generally received positive reviews.
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