As minimalistic as it gets really; two men on the road, attempting to fix their old friendship whilst absorbing the picturesque Oregon landscape.
This 2006 film is very much an acquired taste, a slow burner if I’ve ever seen one. Kelly Reichardt really loves that minimalistic style of storytelling, centred around working-class characters from small rural communities, it has led to her directing other great successes such as Meek’s Cutoff (a personal favourite of mine), Wendy and Lucy, and First Cow. Let’s not beat around the bush though, she has turned into one of the most consistent filmmakers around, using a unique and distinct style like no other. The style – and Old Joy’s in particular – is rough and grainy, bumpy, and unkempt, but it really works. The aesthetic is pleasing, it offers a poetic relationship of man and nature, together. What’s not to love about that? The Oregon landscape is absolutely stunning as well, no wonder Kelly shoots there all the time, landscapes don’t get much better than this surely.
Old Joy was met with overwhelming critical reception from audiences – well, most people. Some people will never be happy though, going into a film knowing it will be an artistically introverted piece and then complain that it is too introverted? I just don’t get it. Old Joy has such a unique flavour; filmed unconventionally – not your normal shot reverse shot or wide-angle framing. There are bits on the lens which just add to that rawness of style (something you would be chastised in film school for, which I know only too well). Simple cutaways: capturing the stillness of nature, random shots of nothing sometimes, and when aided by natural sounds and a gorgeous little soundtrack by indie rock back Yo Lo Tengo, the finished piece is a poem of sorts, invigorating the short story by Jonathon Raymond that it is based on.
Old Joy tells the story of two old friends, Kurt (Will Oldham) and Mark (Daniel London) who, after drifting away over the years, reunite for a weekend camping trip in the Cascade Mountain range, looking for the hidden treasure that is the Bagby Hot Springs. Kurt has carried on with his hippie lifestyle of freewheeling adventures, living off the land and experiencing life, whereas Mark has grown up and moved on from that scene, working a proper job and with a baby on the way. Mark is excited about the trip because it will give him a chance to get away from the city and the hectic lifestyle involved with his family and work, it’s a chance to relive his former glories. Then there is Kurt; a fantasist who thinks he has the universe figured out. He is a troubled man; extremely lonely, desperately clinging on to the life he loves so much, struggling to move on. Tagging along for the ride is Lucy, Marks’s dog (played by Reichardt’s dog of the same name) and she is such a good girl, you really can’t beat a good movie dog.
The two men slowly make their way to the mountain range, discussing life and old memories with one another; with Mark slowly coming to understand that his friend is a tragic character, roaming a world with no real path, struggling with crippling loneliness and jealous about Mark’s present life. Kurt and Mark finally reach their intended destination – the gorgeous hot springs that has been taken straight from a fantasy novel – which leads to a slightly awkward and homoerotic moment between the two guys – something that wasn’t reciprocated by Mark. The two friends begin their journey back towards the big city lights of Portland, assisted by a musical montage by Yo Lo Tengo, beautifully elevating the end of the trip. Old Joy is a story about friendship and alienation, Mark is now much more of a realist, comfortable with his life but needing that escape to recharge his batteries. Whereas Kurt has some underlying problems that don’t get revealed, although it is assumed that he has homoerotic feelings for his friend, which Mark cottons on to.
This miniature road movie is a pleasant little film that homes in on the “friendship” of two men that have drifted apart over the years, through unknown circumstances, and are now on vastly different paths. It really is shot beautifully, showcasing that sublime backdrop of wilderness and the exotic city lights, as a contrast. I didn’t get that sense of it being an “introverted mess” that has been mentioned over the years, it felt perfectly open to the adventure and welcomed the audience to join the two men on their special little journey. You need to listen to the words, the messages that are being transcribed onscreen in its own subtle little way. The green and brown colours – offering a rustic feel – were very soothing to me. Don’t get me wrong, it is a bit rough around the edges, but that is part of its charm and has allowed Reichardt to develop and enhance her skills in later films.
Old Joy is available to watch on Mubi now.
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