Meek’s Cutoff (Blu-ray)
(Oscilloscope Laboratories, 9.13.2011)Regardless of how you feel about Kelly Reichardt’s films, you have to admire her audacity. She’s going to make them her way, an approach that couldn't be further from the rom-coms, comic-book movies and earnest indie films cluttering theatres. Meek’s Cutoff is slow, but it's action-packed compared to Reichardt’s Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy. Suggested by a real event, this film tells the story of a small group of settlers heading for Oregon in 1845 under the guidance of Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood), who proves to be an incompetent blowhard. Only the stubborn resolve of Emily Tetherow (Michelle Williams) keeps things from tipping over into complete chaos.
