Review of Wendy and Lucy (2008) by Daniel K — 26 Apr 2009

3: This was a substantial disappointment for me. Part of the reason for this was definitely that I greatly prefer the 5:30 Monday showtime at Beartooth to the 8:00 showtime, but the real reason was that I loved Old Joy so much and was hoping for something on the same level.

Don't get me wrong, it is still a very well done picture and reasonably effective, but it did not have the emotional impact for me that it should have, especially since it involved a dog. Michelle Williams gives yet another quality performance.

This is more of a star turn than Brokeback Mountain, but both are about equivalent in terms of effectiveness. I did not for a second consider that she wasn't this character. The picture is brutally bleak and dreary for the most part.

She faces a constant struggle and uphill battle. The style is so stark and simplistic. Long takes for the most part. No lighting. No score. No glamour. An abundance of grain and a complete lack of beauty.

Reichardt was certainly not shooting for commercial audiences here. The style perfectly suits the content though, even if it less than entirely appetizing/entertaining. This is a picture that made me think about money far more than most pictures do.

This is obviously something Reichardt intended. It's interesting that the picture seems to have anticipated the thoughts of so many as I suspect it was filmed prior to the current recession and increase in joblessness.

If this is what Reichardt is doing in times of economic prosperity, what will her next film be like? This is, of course, a rather ridiculous question, but it is a little funny. Money is certainly something not everyone has in abundance, as is the case with her character.

It also strikes me that ones reading of the film is almost entirely dependent on ones outlook on life. Will she find happiness at the end of line? Or will she find nothing but further sorrow and misery? I tend to think that her dog will live a healthier and longer life because she left her behind.

I also tend to think there is less gold for her at the end of the rainbow in Alaska than she may have hoped. A worthy follow up, but a bit less than what I was hoping for.