Wendy and Lucy (2008)

A woman, Wendy (Michelle Williams), is trekking through America, well, she does have a car, although not of much use to her (it breaks down early on in the movie). She also has a dog, Lucy, whom she loses early in the movie. We have no idea where this woman came from exactly, but we know where she is going, and why. Alaska... to get work. Of course, this might not be the entire truth, just what she tells people. She is not poor, but she has clearly not been wasting her money so far and she is not about to do that now, although, circumstances might take that decision right out of her hands. This woman has experienced something, and carry the scars. She does not trust people well, but learns to trust some people throughout the movie. But luckily, the movie does not provide all the answers... we have to figure them out for ourselves. These are the movies that I like the best. Michelle Williams is amazing in this role, heartbreaking really. She makes good decisions, but also some terribly wrong ones that might change her journey significantly. I found myself being angry at her early on for making a really stupid and unnecessary decision, but how wonderful to finally see a character who isn't perfect. Flaws is what define a human. The movie itself is slow paced, taking its time to follow Wendy around. It never rushes the story for a second, and when it is over, you can't help but think that it could have easily been 2-3 hours longer, as you want to see what happens to Wendy and Lucy. The images are very realistic, following Wendy close. They are not perfect, but neither is life, and this movie wants to show us just that... life. This is clearly an indie movie, and one of the best I've seen in a good while. I've seen another movie by the director, Kelly Reichardt, and it was filmed in the same way. _Last words... Wendy and Lucy is a story about being human, about surviving in the world, about searching for something, a purpose maybe. It is also about friendship and trust, about the choices that we make, the choices that come to define us and our lives. Yes, it might seem like a small movie, but in reality, it is the biggest story of all, the story of our lives._