Meek's Cutoff
Dir: Kelly Reichardt
2011
*****
Probably the most realistic portrayal of frontier life and the wagon trail, with hopes and fears weighing heavy on the families looking for a place to live, in every sense of the word. Kelly Reichardt's films are a relatively recent discovery for me and each one so far has just astonished me with their simplistic, honest and mesmerising ambiance. I can't help but feel she has been abandoned and misunderstood by her fellow countrymen as she is obviously a very proud American - For what it's worth, she is the one of the few American directors in my mind, and the only one I can think of off the top of my head, making really great American films today. Each character in Meek's Cutoff represents a different aspect of society that is still very relevant today, maybe even more so. At the very least, this is the best history lesson you never had, I just can't praise it enough. People who say things like 'It's boring' and 'nothing happens' clearly haven't been concentrating even though you don't really have to, it being one of the easiest films to watch that I've seen in a long time.