CERTAIN WOMEN
US, 2016, 107 minutes, Colour.
Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Kristin Stewart, Lily Gladstone, Jared Harris, René Auberjoniois, James Le Gros, John Getz.
Directed by Kelly Reichardt.
With the last decade, American director, Kelly Reichardt, has developed something of a cult reputation. She takes offbeat stories by Maile Meloy, writing the screenplays, directing, editing, with a strong focus on central women characters. Her films include Wendy and Lucy, a film about pioneering in the West Meek’s Cut-off, the environmental thriller Night Moves. A frequent comment is that she has a minimalist style.
This is very evident in Certain Women. What makes it more interesting is that the film has three short stories in one, each focusing on a different woman, and a different style in the telling of each story.
In the first film, Laura Dern plays a lawyer whose husband has left her. She is engrossed in her work, has a persistent client, Jared Harris, who is obsessed with his legal rights, feeling that they have been denied, who pesters her, who goes into the legal office to find his files, taking a hostage, with the police relying on Laura to talk him down. This takes its toll on her – and, in a postscript to the film, we see something of the repercussions. The setting is a small town, the audience following the train coming into the town and immersing themselves in Laura’s story and her experiences.
Then there is a transition to the story of Gina, Michelle Williams, who has appeared in a number of Kelly Reichardt’s films. This story also has a small focus, Gina and her husband spending a weekend going to the house of an old-timer, listening to his story, wanting to buy the pile of stone on his property so that they can use it in the house that they are building. James Le Gros plays the husband and veteran René Aubergenois is the old man. The complications are in Gina’s moods and in her trying to deal with her restless daughter who is not the least bit interested in the house and is caught up with friends and social media.
There is more detail in the third story, that of Jamie, Lily Goldstone, who has a way with horses and trains them on a property. By chance, she goes to town and follows a group of people into an adult education course. It is being run by Beth, Kristin Stewart, who has to travel a long way for the course and return home that night, finding the focus of the group fixed on their particular problems rather than on school and legal law which she is trying to communicate. Jamie, however, is fascinated and returns to the course and is very disappointed when Beth decides to give it up and a substitute teacher arrives. Jamie is attracted to Beth, in need of a friend, and she drives all night to Beth’s town in order to meet her.
So, the film is a portrait of three different women, sketches really, but effectively done, with some empathy, enabling the audience to appreciate the women, the comparative smallness of their lives, but the significance for themselves.
1. A film based on short stories? Three stories in one? Portraits? Women? The role of men? The endings?
2. The train going into Montana, the look of the rails, the town, life, the radio, contemporary, legal offices, shops and malls, parking areas? The country towns? Homes, farms, horses? Adult education? Musical score?
3. The director and her career, suggestions that she uses minimalist approaches to stories and communication?
4. Laura’s story, age, Ryan leaving at the opening of the film (no mention later)? The work, busy, the law, the encounter with Fuller, his situation, injury, the effects and consequences, his suing, the company resisting, Laura and her involvement, the appointment, watching him go? Consultation legal expert, no hope for redress? The wandering in the mall, her sitting in the car, the driver, his threats about his wife and shooting people? His getting out of the car? At home, the television? Woken up, the hostage situation, the Samoan and his links to the royal family and Samoa? Fuller with the gun, talking? The police, the vest for Laura, the plan, her going in, finding the files, reading them to Fuller, the talk, his not allowing her to answer the phone? The plan, his getting out, her information to the police, his arrest, watching him go?
5. The end, Laura to visit to the prison, the gift of the shake, his having no grudge, the story of his wife and correspondence with a man in prison, marriage? Life in prison, resignation, noisy? Her future?
6. Gina, married to Ryan, the difficulties with their teenage daughter? Her age, the plan for building the house, away for the weekend, the tent? Her daughter criticising her? The father pleasant? The daughter staying in the car, not wanting to meet Albert? Albert, his age, house, talking, the sale of the rocks, his pondering, his reminiscences, the building and history of the house? Gina strong, Ryan leaving things open? Leaving? The work and the transfer of the rocks to the truck?
7. The ending, the pile of rocks, the prospects?
8. Jamie, life on the farm, looking after the horses, opening the door each day, the vista, riding out with the bales of hay, feeding the horses? The dog? Her life, loner? Seeing the group and following it into the adult education class? The theme of the class, school law? The teachers and their concerns about students, expulsions, parking? Beth, arrival, explanations, driving four hours there and back, at work the next day, the nature of the job? The handouts and information? Jamie talking to her, going to the diner, the beginnings of the friendship, Beth and her story, education, family, selling shoes, the law? Several visits to the diner? Jamie turning up with a horse, their riding to the diner? Beth not turning up, the new teacher, Jamie walking out, driving, searching for Beth, around the city? Meeting her, the discussions, any future? Jamie’s emotions, friendship, attachment? The Jamie going back home, asleep at the wheel, veering off the road?
9. The end, everything going back to normal?
10. Perceptive slices of life? Feminine perspective?
