Review of Wendy and Lucy (2008) by Augustine H — 13 Mar 2009

Wendy and Lucy competently portrays both beauty and grief with a grace found in few other films. From start to finish the main character is so well defined that it is nearly impossible not to sympathize, at the very least to a minor extent, with her plight.

The minimalistic style was used excellently, reminding me of Van Sant's quieter films, minus the dream-like atmosphere that he develops in those films. Michelle Williams is absolutely fantastic as the lead, one of the best performances all year, as she brings an effective degree of emotion to each line uttered and a fair amount of subtlety to the emotional moments the film asks the audience to invest in.

The emotional investment is not a very hard sell either, and Reichardt manages to bring an intensity to the screen that a majority of other thrillers I've seen are hard pressed to capture. This intensity is not heightened by a score or an over the top performance, rather the intensity works so well for just the opposite reason.

Not once is the audience ever taken out of the world, everything feels natural and Wendy's relationship with Lucy is developed perfectly throughout the film, showing that without Lucy Wendy is completely alone.

I was deeply moved by this film, the ending was perfectly executed and really had me floored. I do not really know what else to write about this film, just that it is damn good. Upon a second viewing I will state that there the humor scenes work very well, it's an incredibly complex film, is built for repeat viewings, and is absolutely stunning.

It competes with Let the Right One In and Paranoid Park for the Best of 2008 4.62345321593.