Kelly Reichardt has become renowned for her subtle, affectionate, melancholic snapshots of everyday people and their lives. Based on a collection of short stories by Maile Meloy, Certain Women explores a triptych of lightly-connected female stories and sees Reichardt working masterfully within her comfort zone. The indie auteur has quietly become one of the very best humanist directors around, very few able to illustrate ordinary people’s lives with such tenderness and beauty.
The first story revolves around lawyer Laura (Laura Dern) who is introduced to us after an adulterous hook-up with a married man named Ryan (James LeGros). At work Laura is plagued by labourer Fuller (Jared Harris) who has been obsessively pursuing an unwinnable injury claim. After refusing Laura’s appraisal, but reluctantly accepting a male lawyer’s verdict, Fuller involves Laura in a violent reaction to his situation. It’s the biggest story in terms of scale, but also the most amusing and gripping, as Laura and Fuller’s back-and-forths generate numerous warm laughs and tense moments.
Next, Ryan is revealed as Gina’s (Michelle Williams) husband and father of their moody teenage daughter Guthrie (Sara Rodier). The trio are camping on a plot of land on which they plan to build a new house made entirely from native materials. Gina and Ryan attempt to persuade an elderly family friend, Albert (René Auberjonois), to sell them a pile of vintage sandstone which is sprawled across his land. While it may be the sullenest tale there’s still much to soak up including a brilliantly subtle performance from Williams, whose anger at Alfred’s sexist attitude towards her is subtly played but so intensely palpable.
The last segment follows a Native American horse rancher (Lily Gladstone) who is lacking any kind of human interaction in her remote life. This is until she meets hard-working law graduate Elizabeth (Kristen Stewart) at a class on educational law for teachers which she stumbles upon. Elizabeth commutes a large distance to teach the course, and the pair bond over a series of meals after class. This third section is undoubtedly the most emotionally resonant and engrossing. Gladstone is a complete revelation as the unnamed horse rancher, speaking so little but expressing so much, while Stewart is equally elegant and enticing as Elizabeth. Together they make for a perfectly paired, enrapturing combination.
Admittedly, Certain Women packs few surprises and is unlikely to convert anyone unaccustomed to Reichardt slow-burning, contemplative brand of cinema. But for those already enamoured by the filmmaker’s unique style, Certain Women is an exquisitely crafted, empathetic study of the female experience that will seriously impress. From the breath-taking scenery and grainy aesthetic, to the fully-realised, organic performances and textured, naturally-flowing narrative – this is one to savour.
