KELLY Reichardt’s “Wendy and Lucy,” a small indie that’s been win ning plaudits for months on the festival circuit, has arrived in theaters at a time when the country’s economic collapse lends it added poignancy.
Wendy (Michelle Williams) lives in her car with her dog, Lucy, and wants to travel to Alaska in search of a job. But daily life is a never-ending struggle, and when Wendy is arrested for shoplifting, the dog goes missing.
A new crisis – like a car breakdown – is never far away when you’re jobless and your family is as unsympathetic as Wendy’s is on the phone. Reichardt, who directed “Old Joy,” doesn’t so much tell a story as paint a finely detailed portrait of human suffering in this miniature marvel.
Running time: 80 minutes. Rated R (profanity). At Film Forum, West Houston and Varick streets.