Wendy and Lucy

Greetings again from the darkness. Absolutely stunning performance from the beautiful Michelle Williams, who somehow doesn't look beautiful here and is very believable as the on-the-road loner in search of salvation at a cannery in Alaska. What doesn't work is everything else.

I understand the minimalist approach, but this story doesn't differ much from if you asked a junior high student to write a story about running away from home with her dog. Sure the serpentine belt wouldn't get mentioned, but losing the dog, even if only momentarily, would probably be a sub-plot.

Don't misunderstand. It is a very well shot film and realistic to the point of dread, but we are never really provided any reason to care about Wendy or Lucy ... other than basic human caring.

Will Patton adds a nice, but brief, touch as the auto mechanic and Wally Dalton somehow captured my interest more than Wendy. For the full impact, you have to know that Wally Dalton plays a Walgreens security guard who stares at the parking lot for 12 hours a day.

Michelle Williams deserves the kudos for her performance, but I believe the film itself is much overrated.

As I've said many times in my reviews, I will watch Michelle Williams do just about anything. I think she's one of the greatest actors of all time and certainly of this generation. In one of her earlier starring roles, as the titular Wendy, Williams is able to carry an otherwise very somber movie and bring a sense of relatability and gravitas to the story of a women struggling to stay afloat. Especially for a dog person, this film is particularly difficult to watch, but it also feels essential and timely, even 11 years later.While it may not be a film I check out again, I can once again appreciate the artistry of Kelly Reichardt, as I did with Meek's Cutoff. She remains an essential part of indie-filmmaking.

7.3/10

WOW, that is easily the most depressing film I saw this year, hands down. Michelle Williams and Lucy the Dog star as Wendy and Lucy, respectively, in this remarkably affecting drama about a poor, independent woman escaping from her undisclosed troubles and making her way to Alaska with her dog. All the two have in life is each other, money is tight, food is hard to come by, and sleeping in the car is the only option for Wendy. A devastating turn of events happens to Wendy, and Lucy subsequently goes missing, leading Wendy on a mission to recover the only companion she has in her life. Along the way, Wendy encounters indifferent individuals whose actions are driven by self-righteous attitudes, but Wendy also finds help in an unlikely place, a compassionate security guard. In many ways, Wendy and Lucy succeeds in areas where Bolt (2008) came up short, but they both approach their themes in very different ways. Wendy and Lucy is absolutely heartbreaking, forcing me to cry out "NO!" twice in its duration. The ending was an absolute shocker to me, and actually squeezed a few tears out of my eyes.

In this film, Lucy becomes a character in her own right, a brilliantly effective choice. Lucy becomes not just a symbol of everything Wendy loves in this world, but her only hope for survival. It is never specified, but the audience member is allowed to create an entire backstory behind these main characters. I like to believe that Lucy is a childhood pet of Wendy's, who helped Wendy through a difficult childhood, perhaps with abusive parents, in a foster home, whatever you would like to believe. It makes Wendy's situation that much more affecting. If you've ever felt like you have but one object in this world to turn to in times of trouble, and you've felt like escaping from chains that are holding you down, and beginning a new life for yourself someplace new. If you've ever felt so cut off from other individuals in this world, like screaming at the top of your lungs. If you've ever been placed in such a desperate situation, where your livelihood is threatened, and all that you love seems as though it is vanishing before you, you will undoubtedly shed a tear at this incredibly powerful drama about the connections humans make, the friendships we forge, and the sacrifices we must sometimes make.

9/10

Sometimes the simplest stories are the most effecting and the simplest characters are the most endearing. Wendy and Lucy is a perfect example of this. When discussing this film however one must praise Michelle Williams. Before she even utters a word with her body movement and her facial features we get a sense of who Wendy is. We have seen this character before and we know her. Wendy is a simple girl with a simple purpose but Michelle Williams gives her the grace and kindness that makes her seem real and is all the more gut wrenching when things start crashing down around her. Most actresses her age with her resume would scoff at the idea of playing such a simple and expressionless character who hasn't showered for days and wears cut off brown pants and an unflattering blue sweatshirt but she breathes life into Wendy and adds an extra dimension to her. Of course a great performance would be wasted without a narrative for Wendy.

As the film unfolds the narrative is quite simplistic. Wendy is stuck in a small town in Oregon on her way to Alaska and wants to get on her way as fast as possible before her money runs out. There however are events that will unfold that prevent this from happening. There is little surprise and in fact the narrative is quite predictable with most events foreshadowed. As these events unfold however they are still impactful and meaningful because Wendy does not see them coming. As simplistic as this narrative may be there is complexity to it in the form of political commentary on small town America and how the people that live there are struggling. Wendy herself is fleeing Indiana living in her car and managing a small sum of money to go to the promise land of Alaska since they are hiring. The town is suffering from the closing of a mill with few jobs and is inhabited by many disenfranchised individuals. While this film could be fixated on these points Kelly Reichardt has crafted them very subtlety into the character and the setting. Characters don't stand around saying small own America is dying, but we can easily pick this up from the plot and the visuals of a broken down town with many closed business and downtrodden individuals. Usually films of this type heap on background but instead there are only a few scenes to decipher Wendy's story and motivation.

The soundtrack for this film is Wendy humming quietly to herself which when employed help foster a sense of intimacy. Kelly Reichardt shoots the film with a naturalistic feel with a steady and fluid motion of the camera. There are many long takes with tracking shots as the camera follows Wendy as she walks around this town but this is contrasted with close ups where the camera gets in tight to see the expressions on Wendy's face. There is only natural light used and most of the scenes take place out doors with wind blowing through Wendy's hair and building being nothing more than a backdrop. All of these aspects together create a sense of intimacy with Wendy. Wendy and Lucy shows us that a great film really only needs a honest and meaningful connection to a character through narrative, acting and mise-en-scène.

Is there no more great frontier? Has time run out on those who look west to a better tomorrow? 'Wendy and Lucy' is a small movie with its scope set on a larger, subtle target. Soft-spoken but very admirable, Kelly Reichardt has crafted a touching story of one girl's endless search for her dog.

On the road to Alaska in search for better economic opportunity, Wendy finds herself in a small Oregon town where its citizens seem to live on the fringe of poverty long after job-providing factories have closed up shop. Keeping track of every penny she spends, Wendy's car suddenly won't start. And after an attempt to shoplift a bit of food sidelines her, she loses track of Lucy. A dog, a companion, and her best friend.

A determined Wendy searches for Lucy in every nook and cranny. Played by a quiet Michelle Williams, this is a subdued performance but a strong one. A portrait of loneliness, of heartbreak. She lives a life far from fortunate, but she holds her head high and looks to Alaska for hope. And in a small neighborhood where her situation seems to only go from bad to worse, Wendy has nobody to rely on but a friendly elderly security guard. Giving her a sense of moral support she probably is in desperate need for, we expect emotion. But staring panic in the face, Wendy remains strong. Her first moment of visible emotional anguish and vulnerability comes after a terrifying encounter in a forest in the middle of the night. A glimpse into her future as a vagabond? 'Wendy and Lucy' comes at a time when our own economy is in a state of perpetual free fall, which helps Reichardt drive her timely message home. It is these often seemingly mundane and unimportant everyday activities that may cause the film to drag, though it comes in at a slim 80 minutes. But it is these events that help the film and Williams find personality. 'Wendy and Lucy' asks us to be strong, to stick with our character. And it offers an ending that will pull at the heartstring of even the most hardened cynic. A tough, very challenging situation you and I would never want to find ourselves in. It speaks of conviction, of doing the right thing even when it's impossibly difficult.

Raw but surprisingly gripping, Reichardt does much with little. It's a touching picture, a bittersweet one. 'Wendy and Lucy' may feel minor, but it's a fine piece of beautifully told cinema. A snapshot that gains more appreciation upon reflection.

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