Wendy and Lucy isn’t mumblecore.
@ Ichi
I suggest you watch the film again
well that’s one way to look at it… i guess.
Yet another in a long line of useless threads. We could have a meaningful discussion about this film, but instead the poster peverts the tone of the thread, and destroys any objective, and fulfilling analysis we could have had.
Ichi – I loved the film, I loved pretty much everything about it. I think it was maybe the best film of last year, but if you have any real complaints about the film I’d gladly hear them. I’d love to actually discuss the film.
What is “mumblecore”? A new genre? Will someone please tell me?
From Dictionary.com
Main Entry: mumblecore
Part of Speech: n
Definition: a genre of low-budget movie using nonprofessionals to depict mundane postcollege or early adult existence
Example: The term “mumblecore” was coined by Eric Masunaga, a sound editor.
Etymology: 2002
Wendy wants to get a fucking job. Cash outlays for gas and food are tracked in that little notebook she carries with her. She is preoccupied with worries over fucking money and staying alive; with landing that job in a fucking fish cannery. She has the temerity to even dream that a job, once gotten, will make everything fine. A fucking job will make everything fine. What exactly is wrong with you? Do you work for Fox News? Are you an intern for Rush Limbaugh? Or do you just enjoy playing an ass who’s incapable of empathy? If you hated the movie, that’s fine. But to deride it in a way that insists that you not, henceforth, be taken at all seriously- well, you’ve succeeded.
That definition of mumblecore is far too broad.
The term “mumblecore” is only to be used to describe a very small group of films and filmmakers (and even then, it shouldn’t be used at all). Bujalski, Swanberg, Katz, Ry-Russo Young, Lynn Shelton, the Duplass Bros, Kentucker Audley… maybe a couple more. The term should never spread beyond this group of people.
Also, I agree with the others when saying that Wendy & Lucy is a great film, and as KJ pointed out… the entire narrative point of the picture is that she is driving to a job, but struggles along the way.
I’ve now seen Old Joy a few times and get more out of it each time. It’s one of those movies I’m constantly recommending to others.
How does Old Joy compare to Wendy and Lucy? It’s on my queue – coming soon.
Lisa Kennedy wrote a review for it in the Denver Post that was negative, but she actually reviewed it. i hadn’t seen the film at the time of the review, but it gave me another perspective in which to view it. it made me realise that Wendy was not particularly good at making choices, but regardless, she was trying her best in uncertan circumstances. i disagreed with Kennedy’s review—i thought it was a particular good film—but understood her point of view.
Ichi reminds me of that kid in the grocery store who turned her in. actually, catching her wasn’t so bad. you gotta do what you gotta do. insisting the cops be called was kind of a dick move. but still, he had a point. my biggest problem with the guy was his smugness—his simple, black and white, “right vs. wrong—we have to do this because, well, we’re supposed to” bullshit attitude. people like that are despicable…
wow. really?
yeah. i don’t have many friends…
Viewed it yesterday, and thought it was very good. Michelle Williams gives an outstanding and convincing performance. On the film as a whole, minimalist, to be sure, but not at all a bad thing here. Often, the most profound emotional dilemmas are best expressed in the simplest of stories, and it takes real skill to involve the viewer to the point of feeling them. Well done.
I personally really enjoyed the movie. I’d probably call it one of the best of the year. It’s such a small, personal film with a story that wouldn’t even make the newspapers in real life, and yet I feel drawn into it.
I loved Michelle Williams performance, as well as that of the security guard. Something about the security guard’s character felt extremely real, like you could imagine meeting the guy if you went down to that particular Walgreens.
Ah I loved this film. I saw it a couple of weeks ago. Interestingly I’ve been able to observe it getting a lot more exposure for its release in France than in the UK previously. I think Michele Williams is outstanding, the whole thing passed really quickly like a dream. If you’ve ever been as broke as Wendy is then you can really relate to everything. The dog thing reminded me of a great short film called ‘Magic Paris’ is you ever get chance to see it.
ichi
Hey Wendy – get a fucking job. You don’t deserve a dog.
God I hate mumblecore.