Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Wendy and Lucy (2008)
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Writers: Kelly Reichardt & Jonathan Raymond (screenplay)
Cast: Michelle Williams, Lucy, David Koppell
Genre: Indie Drama

Director Kelly Reichardt is quickly becoming one of my favorite indie directors. Hell, she's one of my favorite directors working today, period. She's probably best known for Meek's Cutoff (2010) and Certain Women (2016).

I've seen a number of films directed by Kelly Reichardt and I'm always impressed by how much reflective emotions she manages to show us with her long takes and quiet style of film making. Wendy and Lucy is like that, all the way. It's so expressive and yet understated.


Filmed in the small town of Wilsonville, Oregon the film has a realistic look to it as the filming is done on the streets and fields of the town. This really adds to the feel that Wendy is a real person and could be someone you would know. That it turn makes her character all the more sympathetic.


Michelle Williams really impressed me here with her facial expressions that speaks volumes, she actually doesn't say much in the movie. It's all in her reaction to the world around her and for her love of her dog, Lucy. This is a melancholy film at times and I felt more emotions during this film than I would a half dozen other movies. I thought it was pretty special.

+

I liked it, it kept me on my toes as to what was going to happen...This was NOT like later Coen Bros films. It didn't have any of the Coen's trademark wackiness, yet it still had their film making mastery and style about it.

Miller's Crossing is a straight up, serious, gangster drama with a whole bunch of twists that kept me guessing who was double crossing who, and how they were doing it? It was cleverly written and the plot was hard to follow at times, which is a good thing...as it means the film is intelligent, either that or I just wasn't paying attention.


I was impressed by how well grounded the actors were in their characters. No over the top caricaturizations here. I believe this is how prohibition mobsters actually behaved and interacted with each other back in the day. It was all more low key and yet the stakes were high.


Gabriel Byrne especially was low key which was good to see as it made the movie all the more potent. And just for fun there are some good old Tommy Gun machine gun shoot outs, with bullets flying. But basically this is a thinking persons gangster movie. I liked it as such.

This was an easy watch and a fun way to pass a rainy night. I can't say it was anything special, but it was quaint, like a cup of warmed over tea, not exactly fresh or inspired but still soothing enough.


By far the best part for me was the Old Lady, and yes she was called just that in the movie. She was also called Mrs. Wilberforce, which is kind of a funny name for a charmingly festive and well mannered character. The Old Lady was played by Katie Johnson and she's a gem.

I didn't really warm up to the other actors the five robbers, aka Lady Killers. I thought Alec Guinness would be a stand out but he wasn't really. The fake overbite teeth didn't help me to warm up to his character either. I thought Peter Sellers too would be a laugh riot, but he didn't really get many lines, I guess this was early on in his career.

The best character was the big goofy guy named One-Round (Danny Green). He was funny, but the best part was when all the other little old ladies came to tea which put a monkey wrench into the would-be robbers plans.


Nothing real original here, and this is a PG type movie and despite it's name, no ladies were killed...Just a nice jaunt for an easy watch.