BuzzSugar

Wendy and Lucy: Pretty, Poignant, Kinda Boring

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:45:36 PST

As a simple story about a young woman having a hard time of it, Wendy and Lucy is a bit irritating at times. But after viewing this quiet little movie directed and co-written by indie darling Kelly Reichardt, I sat with it and mulled it over for a few weeks. Only then did I realize how effective it is at capturing the bitter realities and melancholy that exists for those who live at or below the poverty lines and on the edges of our society.

It's certainly a downer - but a superbly rendered downer that may ultimately be seen as a cinematic snapshot of the times we're living in. Reichardt and her star, the impressive Michelle Williams, succeed at capturing a certain downtrodden vibe that's in the air nowadays and for that I can forgive it for being, well, boring. To see where I think it soars and where it stumbles, just

You'll likely hear a lot of buzz around Williams's performance and it's deserved. She plays the role of Wendy, a sullen young woman living in her car as she makes her way across the country on her way to Alaska where she's heard there are jobs to be had. The movie opens in a small Oregon town where Wendy becomes stranded. It's near the end of Wendy's odyssey, evidenced by her dwindling cash pile and the breakdown of her car. Williams effortlessly portrays this young woman, about whom we know so little, in such a sympathetic way, you can't help but feel for her. We watch her encounter one disaster after another (including losing her adorable companion, Lucy the dog) and her frustration is palpable.

Reichardt takes full advantage of the Northwest setting, giving the movie a lush green but gritty realism which enhances the minimalist plot. Oh, and what little plot there is. I do wonder if the movie would have felt as real if some more detail and background were added to the character of Wendy herself. We're forced to get by with little hints here and there about who this girl is and how she got into such a terrible predicament through things like a quick pay phone call to a family member and small discussions here and there with a kindly security guard.

Wendy is a drifter, a free spirit with no clear place in our society. She doesn't really want to find success somewhere and she seems pissed off about it. Admittedly, I left the movie with a brain full of frustrating questions like, "But how does one so young and promising end up in her car with dog miles away from home? How does a young lady like that get it in her head the only jobs to be had are in Alaska? Where are her parents? Where are her friends?" But I suppose that's probably the point.

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Michelle Williams Celebrates Her Meek's Cutoff With a Screening in NYC

Allie Merriam — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:17:07 PDT

Michelle Williams was the center of attention in a chic Chanel dress last night at a NYC screening of her movie Meek's Cutoff last night at the James Hotel. The indie Western is opening in limited release next week after Michelle took it to festivals last year, and it's her second collaboration with her Wendy and Lucy director Kelly Reichardt. Michelle mingled with her costar Paul Dano on the dark carpet as well as his girlfriend Zoe Kazan. It was one of Michelle's first big public events since she made the award season rounds in January and February to support her Blue Valentine. Her close friend Busy Philipps was her date to many ceremonies, and now Michelle is hanging out at her Brooklyn home with other pals and her daughter Matilda.

Michelle Williams Takes On the Wild West in the Meek's Cutoff Trailer

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:00:40 PST

I have a little bit of Western fever after True Grit, so I may be more excited than usual for the Meek's Cutoff trailer, starring Michelle Williams. She plays Emily Tetherow, a woman whose wagon train gets lost as they attempt to take a shortcut over the Cascade Mountains in the 1840s. Conditions become harsher and more hostile, forcing the group to decide whether to trust the natives for help. There's a very threatening and somber tone to the trailer, and the film itself, I'd presume; you know that not everyone is going to survive this trip.

The film, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, reunites Williams with her Wendy and Lucy director, Kelly Reichardt, and also costars indie darlings (and future onscreen couple) Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan. As for Williams, it looks like the recent Oscar nominee is turning in another superb performance from under her travel bonnet. The movie comes out April 8, so take a look at the preview when you