Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt, 2008)

[swo17]

Soda just barely put it out on Blu in the UK as part of their Reichardt set, and it looks great! Oscilloscope said a few years ago that they had no plans to upgrade it in the U.S.

[JamesF]

Svet and Gary liked our Blu-Ray well enough, for whatever it's worth.

[swo17]

Are they correct in stating that the set is region-free? I thought I remembered it being otherwise.

[JamesF]

They are indeed, all three discs are region free.

[knives]

Though the O-Scope is also essential for its extras.

[zedz]

Though the O-Scope is also essential for its extras.

That's an understatement!

The Reichardt talk that runs as a commentary track on the Soda Wendy and Lucy is great. I was dreading it after the halting, gap-filled commentary on the US Old Joy, but she's engaged and engaging throughout.

[Drucker]

Saw this last night and been on a Reichardt kick lately. Saw both this and Old Joy in 35 over the last month so ideal viewing. Seeing Old Joy last month was enjoyable but didn't knock me out in the way I had hoped. I found this film much more captivating. Perhaps this film is more straightforward, but I think the tonal shifts worked a lot better. There was some legitimately laugh out loud moments, and the stress Wendy is going through throughout the film is nicely balanced by friendly faces and bad situations that could have been worse. I do think both this and Old Joy really do ring true, but this film was a bit more captivating and certainly gut wrenching at the end.

[Boosmahn]

Hey, I watched this last night, too! I can't compare it to Old Joy (the only other Reichardt film I've seen is Night Moves), but I found it enjoyable. Nothing extraordinary, but good.

For the life of me, I cannot understand how some view this as manipulative. For instance, take this New Yorker article that practically paints Reichardt as a villain. There are so many opportunities where the script could have Wendy be abused or robbed, yet it doesn't indulge. (Echoing another user: yes, these things happen, but it would be out of place here.)

[hearthesilence]

That link is from the New Yorker - no credit, but it reads like one of Richard Brody's reviews.

[senseabove]

"The ostensible objectivity of Reichardt’s meticulous naturalism is a device that she uses to portray a sliver of physical reality as the whole truth; her rejection of psychology as well as of cultural context plays false and reeks of demagogy." Holy hell what a colossal misreading that is.

[Boosmahn]

That link is from the New Yorker - no credit, but it reads like one of Richard Brody's reviews.

No idea how I messed that up! Thanks.