A lawyer who has a difficult relationship with a client, a woman who tries to buy sandstones from an old man to build a house with her husband and a ranch hand who falls for her adult education teacher. Three stories about four women set in the impressive scenery of Montana. These stories, intertwining to the point of blending together, are presented to the viewer without any context, without ending or beginning. So minimal that they feel almost anecdotal, these vignettes of strong yet vulnerable women are nevertheless deeply moving. The story and the inevitable reconstruction we are required to do is quite compelling. Everything about this feature draws in the viewer: the spaces, the smells, the earth, the solitude, and the lives of these women we are allowed to observe, almost as if we were spies of a secret intimacy. A movie that highlights the poetry of the smallest, most ephemeral things of everyday life.
An old favourite of our festival, Kelly Reichardt has already conquered the audience during Americana’s 2015 edition with her previous film, Night Moves. One of the most prestigious filmmakers of American Indie cinema, Reichardt is the director behind acclaimed features such as Meek’s Cutoff, Wendy & Lucy and Old Joy. She counts with a large number of supporters who value her meticulous and minimalist style, along with her fragmented, almost imperceptible, narratives. Poetess of a slow-paced reality, she is able to bring emotions out of the most restrained. Certain Women benefits from its superb female cast, featuring Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart and Michelle Williams, an old favourite of Reichardt films. This movie was nominated for several prestigious awards, such as Best Director at the 2017 Independent Spirit Award and it is listed amongst the best pictures of 2016, proudly occupying the fourth place in the always very anticipated Sight & Sound Top 20 films of the year list.
