Showing Up Review
Kelly Reichardt is back! It’s been three years since her last film, which was buried because it was released in March of 2020 right before the entire world shut down for two years.
This film was made during covid, giving way to the small crew and intimate setting of her new film. This new film follows Lizzy played by a Reichardt staple Michelle Williams.
Lizzy is an aspiring artist and lost Millennial who doesn’t want to work where she is, but will also procrastinate at every opportunity while working on her art. Because she has a show in a few days.
Some distractions are a hurt pigeon she has to care for, and a broken hot water heater, which her landlady and far more successful artist Jo (Hong Chau) is also putting off for her own art show.
The cast is made up of some of Reichardt’s usual suspects, Michelle Williams, James Le Gros, and John Magaro. Along with newcomers: Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, and Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000).
Reichardt is one of my personal favorite filmmakers. I hate to use an overused term like vibes, but her films tend to be vibes. But not just a vibe. Her films are meditative pieces about life.
Intimate portraits of specific people from all walks of life. Her films let the characters speak for themselves. She lets scenes play out almost as if we were watching a documentary.
Usually, her films are more complicated and cynical. Showing Up is a much more upbeat and actually comedic film. I don’t remember a Reichard film making me chuckle as much as this one did.
Don’t go to this thinking it’s a Will Farrell movie, Kelly’s dry wit is asking for hearty laughs, rather a quiet smirk. It is so dry the comedy might escape some people, as did the theater of people I was watching this with because my wife and I were the only ones chuckling.
This film is a look at the artistic process and how it takes 100 percent effort just to stay on task, as useless things can get in the way and become major distractions.
Many filmmakers, if given the chance, would tinker with their films forever, they need someone to take it away from them, they need a new set of eyes on it.
Up until Lizzy’s show she is obsessing about minor things. She gets hyper-focused on the amount of cheese put out at her show. It doesn’t matter, but it’s something for her anxiety to focus on because she can no longer do anything with her sculptures.
The feeling of putting yourself out into the world in that manner, in any art, is anxiety-inducing and scary. Plus, once you put your art out into the world it is no longer your art.
People will perceive it and make their own notions about it. It no longer means what you want it to mean. So instead of spiraling out of control thinking about this, Lizzy focuses on cheese.
Reichardt said the best thing about making a new film is the end, right after everything is completely done with everything. This is exemplified in the films ending. Lizzy seems to be in a better place because it is over.
But, she gets to do it all over again.
If you have not seen a Kelly Reichardt film before, I think this would be an excellent one to start with.
4/5 Stars
