It feels to me like having a common language would have made things easier, but maybe she wouldn't have gotten the magic brain effects that way? hand wave.

In the book Louise spends a lot of time thinking (and explaining to the reader) about why simultaneous awareness doesn't mean you just get to skip ahead to the end. So the fact that the Heptopods are aware of the future in which they know the human languages acquired in the film already doesn't give them a shortcut to going through the process of learning.

I guess that would have helped. Not that I'm actually that pressed about this!

I went to see Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women last night. I'd never seen a film by her before, although I've heard good things about Wendy and Lucy and Meek's Cutoff (to be totally frank, the description of those two films made them seem like giant bummers). Certain Women is a triptych of three extremely loosely-connected stories with female protagonists, starring Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, and Kristen Stewart, respectively. I liked the Dern segment -- it was both pointy and had low key dry sense of humour. The Williams segment, I found more opaque. But the third segment with Stewart and this newcomer called Lily Glastone completely knocked my socks off. It was like the most perfectly calibrated, delicate short story about voiceless longing and search for connection. There is a scene featuring a nocturnal horse ride that was so ravishing, so perfectly poised between heartbreak and hope, I basically had a mini meltdown in the theater. (2016: in which Vonnie cries ALL THE TEARS at the movies. It's a sign of the times, I guess.)

If it's playing near you, go see it if you can. I guess I should go watch Reichardt's other films (but not if the dog dies in Wendy and Lucy, oh God.)

I guess I should go watch Reichardt's other films (but not if the dog dies in Wendy and Lucy, oh God.)

The dog does not die.

Wendy and Lucy is well made and Michelle Williams is excellent in it, it just wasn't for me. I preferred Meek's Cutoff.

Looking forward to Certain Women. I believe Lily Gladstone won a LA Film Critics award this weekend for her performance.

Gladstone was fucking amazing. She had the most heartbreakingly open, expressive face. I really hope the accolades she's getting for this film opens up more doors for her. (I can't remember the last time when a Native-American/First Nation actor really broke out. Adam Beach in Smoke Signals? That was like 20 years ago.)

Thanks for the info on Wendy and Lucy! That was very helpful. And I think Meek's Cutoff is streaming on Netflix. I just have to be in the right frame of mind to watch it.

Ugh, just found out about multiple sexual harassment and assault accusations against Casey Affleck from filming that Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary. Guess I won't be seeing Manchester by the Sea after all.

And naturally, it's not gaining any traction like it did with Nate Parker. It's like there's an obvious difference between the two of them...but I'm sure the world is color-blind.

Sigh. Yeah, I read about it this past week. I still think both the film and Affleck's performance are amazing, but completely get folks who don't want to help him advance his career. Why do some talented people have to be such crummy human beings, iteration 23758374.

As usual, it makes me think about whether terrible person/great artist conflict has a statue of limitation. For example, while there have long been talks about it, Tippi Hedren opened up earlier this year about what a controlling and abusive creep Hitchcock was toward her. I mean, there is no doubting what a freakin' genius he was, but I don't know how I'm gonna feel when I next rewatch a Hitchcock film. Especially since obsession and dysfunctional sexuality are such prevailing themes in his films.

And naturally, it's not gaining any traction like it did with Nate Parker. It's like there's an obvious difference between the two of them...but I'm sure the world is color-blind.

Well that, but I'd also argue the cases are very different. And a huge difference is that Parker is the writer/director of a film where rape was made central to the plot of a historical event despite lack of historical evidence. Not defending either man and don't intend to support either film, but I think comparing the two situations directly is apples and oranges.