River of Grass

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Audience Member Yes, this looks like a first movie for director Reichardt and the actors; some of whom, at least, are clearly not experienced in front of the camera. Some scenes are esp. amateurish. One scene looks like an office training video. But there are signs of potential here in both the writing and direction of Kelly Reichardt for what she was to become. Languid for sure, but also a story of a sad couple who think they are very much down by law. Yet the grime, the squalor, the sense of a lack of hope and the desperation is rather palpable. They sell that pretty well. 2.2 stars Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member This is Kelly Reichardt's directorial debut. The more recent films that I have seen are incredible, so I wanted to go back and try to look at her earlier filmography. River of Grass tells the story of Cozy, a bored housewife trapped inside of her own head and who fantasizes about a more exciting kind of life. One night she leaves her kids and walks toward somewhere; when she reaches the road, she is nearly run over by Lee Roy. A bit later, they meet up in a bar, and Cozy's world seems to perk up; she sees a man who can provide some excitement in her life. After they apparently accidentally shoot somewhat, they hit the road together. This film is quite fascinating. The first thing that struck me is the sense of place and character that Reichardt creates. Cozy voices over during the entire film, and we get to be inside of her head as she heads down a path that isn't what she thought it would be. I was reminded very strongly of the Sean Baker films, like Starlet and Tangerine, that immerse the viewer into the worlds of people who live on the margin. Character and place are everything. This film in some ways provides insight into Reichardt's unique style as she moved into more western themes in her later films. For example, in First Cow, two people meet up who scheme a way to make money in the emerging capitalism of Amerca. Here, we have Cozy and Lee, also two people who are deeply part of the mosaic of America, who meet up with a dream of something better. The film has the feel of an old B movie and is also quite funny in places. I really enjoyed the film; thumbs up from me. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review michael d Standard 90s indie drama. <shrug> Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A downbeat Bonnie & Clyde shot through with turn-of-the-20th-century malaise. Perhaps because of the naturalistic style and the way the actors tend to interact with their environment, the film gives a profound sense of place. Humorous and bleak in equal measure. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A psychopathic mother of two can't stand home life anymore and hookup with a lazy imbecile that found a gun on the side of the road. The gun was actually lost by the policeman that happens to be the dad of the psychopath mom. The pair is awfully inept at being bad as much as they were at being good. Funnily, all the african-americans in the film are more intelligent and law abiding than the whities. Digitally enhanced make the film's colours look normal. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A housewife named Cozy is far from it and fed up with the mundanity in her Floridian life. She falls in with a loser named Lee and the two make like BONNIE AND CLYDE in this quick and dirty indie gem. Kelly Reichardt's directorial debut is overflowing with ideas; it appears the writer/director flushed all the film school style out of her system with this project before charting new territory. RIVER OF GRASS is a brisk but nevertheless striking debut. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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