DVD review: “Wendy and Lucy”
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“Wendy and Lucy”
A quietly powerful performance from Michelle Williams gives the spare indie film “Wendy and Lucy” its haunting emotional impact.
Director/co-writer Kelly Reichardt’s slice-of-life film is stripped down to minimalism in every way, from a soundtrack dominated by train whistles and evocative humming to realistic, unadorned cinematography that shows towering Pacific Northwest forests and tired Oregon small town for just what they are.
The movie drops us abruptly into the story of Wendy (Williams, whose usual beauty is concealed by cheap clothes and short brown hair), who is journeying from Indiana to Alaska with nothing but a junker car, $525 and her faithful mutt Lucy. Her goal is to find a job in an Alaskan cannery, even if she has to sleep in her car to get there.
In an Oregon hamlet, a security guard (Wally Dalton) rousts her from slumber and instructs her to move her car, but the clunker won’t start. What would be an inconvenience for many sets of a series of crises for Wendy.
A self-righteous clerk (Michael Brophy) catches her shoplifting dog food and insists on calling the cops. When she gets back to the market, Lucy, who was tied out front, has vanished. Wendy embarks on a desperate search for her protector and sole companion.
A phone call to her sister gets her nothing but grumbling, but Some people try to help: the security guard offers companionship and cell phone usage along with empty platitudes, while the local mechanic (Will Patton) tries to cut her a break on towing and repairs. But their generosity is limited by their own hard circumstances and not equal to the Wendy’s dearth of resources.
Williams gives the character a kind stoic determination that’s almost reflexive, and Wendy veers between hope and despair as she is forced to make hard choices.
“Wendy and Lucy” offers an important look at life on the fringes, addressing poverty in a way that’s rarely preachy. But the film lacks character development and often drags, despite its emotional resonance.
DVD features: A collection of four short films selected by Reichardt.
- BAM
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