Director Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women arrives in theaters at an oddly appropriate moment.
As America gazes in disgusted fascination at the spectacle of a misogynistic boil being lanced on the most public of stages, Reichardt’s delicate but powerful triptych of Montana-set tales is a reminder of how quietly radical it can be to tell stories about women’s lives—simply, and with unforced empathy.
Those qualities are nothing new for Reichardt, as anyone who’s seen Wendy & Lucy or Old Joy can attest. Most of her previous films have been shot in Oregon, so decamping to the Treasure State to adapt these short stories by Maile Meloy isn’t a huge shift. There is, however, a specific quality to the light and the landscape, only enhanced by the decision to shoot the film on 16mm, and a genuine sense of place.