Girl searches for lost dog. Stunningly exciting premise, huh?
Wendy and Lucy is a minimal film, but that’s OK. A dowdy Michelle Williams competently plays lead-human Wendy who finds herself on the brink of poverty and homelessness when, on returning from being arrested, can’t find her beloved companion, Lucy, played by lead-dog Lucy. You know very early on that there won’t be much smiling taking place.
However, the film falls short in the emotional-stakes and just isn’t intense enough. Clearly being a masochist, I wanted my heartstrings to be pulled harder. This is supposed to be painful, right? Spank me harder, dammit.
The complete lack of music—assumably used as a tool to accentuate the feeling of loneliness—doesn’t help. It is an interesting choice but the more traditional (and boring?) tool of music could have been a stronger one used to intensify emotional reactions.
All in all, Wendy and Lucy is good, but it should be more powerful.
15th Mar 2009
Comments
trovster, 17th Mar 2009:
I haven't seen the movie, but noticing music - whether it be the lack of - during a movie which is supposed to be emotional is unforgiveable. The music should be a 'silent' partner to the characters, their mood and movie as a whole.
However, saying this, I would like to see some more unconventional use of, or more specifically lack-of, music in movies - especially replacing some generic 'epic' theme I often see in sub-par movies.
A scene towards the end of the original Funny Games stands out in my mind when I think of the lack of music which has heightened a very emotional and isolated scene - I'm sure there are plent of others though.
Patrick Griffiths, 19th Mar 2009:
To be fair, if I wasn't analysing it (Wendy and Lucy) as I was watching it, I probably wouldn't have noticed.
Funny Games also uses music really well at the start, when it switches from calming classical to mad heavy rock, whilst maintaining the serene picture. This *is* noticeable, but works brilliantly.
