Kelly Reichardt is a master of the non-event. The films she’s best known for—Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, Night Moves—take place within limbos. Her characters are displaced, short on money and options. Her characters are ordinary people, shuffling along the margins. Her characters might have faults, but they aren’t bad enough to bring about a sense of urgency in others. And her characters might be sad, but rarely are they beautiful or inspiring enough to make a ripple outside of a Reichardt film, where she alone casts a light on them.
Reichardt set the tone for these examinations with River of Grass, her little-seen 1994 debut—which has recently been restored, and will screen tonight at the Hollywood Theatre with Reichardt in attendance.