The films of Kelly Reichardt tend to sneak up on you. Since
her 1994 debut, “River of Grass,” the American director’s films have been
distinct in their quiet, sparsely plotted nature. With her hyper-realist style,
Reichardt tends to forgo big, emotional moments in favor of clear-eyed
character portraits filled with the kind of tiny, perfectly observed details
whose power don’t always hit you right away; often not until the film has
ended, sometimes even later. The director’s latest, “Certain Women,” continues
that pattern.
Inspired by a trio of short stories by author Maile Meloy, the film is told in
triptych, presenting three barely-connected stories about women making their
own way in rural Montana. The first story revolves around Laura (the always
wonderful Laura Dern), a lawyer contending with a disgruntled client named Fuller
(Jared Harris), who was injured in a workplace accident. Because he accepted a
settlement, he finds that he can’t sue for more money now that the
larger-than-expected medical bills have left him penniless. Despite the sound
of it, this is the most comedic of the stories, as Laura maintains her wry sense
of humor as the situation escalates.
The second focuses on Gina (Michelle Williams, a frequent
collaborator with Reichardt) as a wife and mother who, along with her husband
Ryan (James LeGros), is building her dream home out
in the country. She wants to buy an old, seemingly forgotten pile of sandstone
slabs from an elderly landowner named Albert (Rene Auberjonois),
but feels that Ryan’s wishy-washy behavior is undermining her efforts. This is
the least developed of the stories, but Williams makes the most of it.
The final story is the most moving, following an isolated
ranch hand (an extraordinary newcomer by the name of Lily Gladstone) who on a
whim sits in on a night class about student law, and finds herself captivated
by the shy law-school grad who teaches it (Kristen Stewart). Stewart continues
to prove that, away from blockbusters like the “Twilight” series or “Snow White
and the Huntsman,” she’s quite a gifted actor.
Not a whole lot “happens” in any these stories, but each one
is told with such empathy and attention to both character and place that
they’re completely captivating. Like the characters at the center of each of
its stories — each one in her own way searching for a connection, or at the
very least recognition — the film gradually grows a steely, quiet strength.
This article appears in Nov 9-15, 2016.
