IFC Films has released the first trailer for Certain Women, the latest film from Meek’s Cutoff and Wendy and Lucy writer/director Kelly Reichardt. Based on the short stories of Malie Meloy, the film takes a triptych approach to storytelling, revolving around the tales of four individual women striving to forge their own paths. Set in the American Northwest, as are the majority of Reichardt’s films, the four stories are as follows: Laura Dern plays a lawyer who ends up contending with office sexism and a hostage situation at the same time; Michelle Williams plays a wife and mother who is determined to build her dream home; and Kristen Stewart plays a young law student who strikes up a relationship with a lonely ranch hand played by newcomer Lily Gladstone.
The film had its world premiere earlier this year at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and is about to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. Reviews out of Sundance were mighty positive, and indeed this trailer is really promising. Reichardt has certainly carved a niche for herself by telling American Northwest-set stories, but the triptych structure of Certain Women, with each section connected by themes of being a woman in America, is a fascinating and exciting choice of narrative.
Critics out of Sundance were particularly praising Stewart’s performance, and post-Twilight the actress has shined magnificently by working with interesting directors on smaller-scale projects. More and more, Snow White and the Huntsman feels like a one-off, and it seems like Stewart isn’t exactly eager to dive back into blockbuster filmmaking anytime soon.
Check out the Certain Women trailer and poster below. The film opens in theaters on October 14th.
Here’s the official synopsis for Certain Women:
One of America's foremost filmmakers, Kelly Reichardt (Wendy and Lucy, Meek's Cutoff) directs a remarkable ensemble cast led by Michelle Williams, Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and newcomer Lily Gladstone in this stirring look at four women striving to forge their own paths amidst the wide-open plains of the American Northwest: a lawyer (Dern) who finds herself contending with both office sexism and a hostage situation; a wife and mother (Williams) whose determination to build her dream home puts her at odds with the men in her life; and a young law student (Stewart) who forms an ambiguous bond with a lonely ranch hand (radiant newcomer Lily Gladstone). As their stories intersect in subtle but powerful ways, a portrait emerges of flawed, but strong-willed individuals in the process of defining themselves.
