Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy tells the story of Kurt and Mark, two old friends who reunite for a weekend camping trip in the Cascade mountains east of Portland Oregon. For Mark, the weekend offers a reprieve from the pressure of becoming a father in the near future, while for Kirk, it's just the latest in another long string of directionless adventures. Old Joy is a minimalist exploration of two souls that have found themselves pulled apart due to the passing of time. With Old Joy there is no major moment of conflict, nor an inciting incident, but make no mistake, the film is draped in Drama. What Reichardt has created with Old Joy is a spiritual, meditative study of two life long friends who are headed down different paths. Using her typical less-is-more style, Reichardt uses a nuanced approach to show how Mark has grown somewhat tired of Kurt's aimless lifestyle, being a man whose intimidated but ultimately ready to settle down and start a family. The scene towards the end of the film couldn't more perfectly encapsulate Reichardt's approach, as our two protagonists arrive at a hot springs, their final destination on their weekend adventure. Barely a word is spoken throughout the entire sequence, yet it becomes clear that the two characters are working through the unspoken tensions of their varying lifestyles, with Kurt placing his hands on Mark's shoulders, being a symbolic act of forgiveness and mourning that simultaneously represents an ending to the close relationship they had in the past. Touching on friendship, alienation, and the effect of time on ourselves and others, Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy is an impressive early effort from the filmmaker, showcasing her ability to capture drama and conflict in such a nuanced and subtle way.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
|