Meek's Cutoff

PG
Kelly Reichardt, 104 mins, USA, 2010, 35mm. Source: Madman Entertainment. Courtesy: Madman Entertainment.

Meek's Cutoff

Since its premiere in competition at the 2010 Venice Film Festival, Meek's Cutoff has been lauded for its highly nuanced performances and bold reinterpretation of the Western.

The year is 1845 and three pioneering families cross the treacherous Oregon Trail under the guidance of Meek, a grizzled frontiersman who insists, "We're not lost, we're just finding our way."

As their wagons creak and groan across the parched earth, tensions between the settlers rise and they are forced into an unthinkable decision.

Based on actual events, Meek's Cutoff reunites Reichardt with screenwriter, Jon Raymond (Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy). Their combined approach to storytelling is unsentimental and deeply thought provoking, aided in large part by Michelle Williams' stand out performance, which provides the film with much of its steely resolve and humanity.

Featuring some of contemporary cinema's finest actors including Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Shirley Henderson and Bruce Greenwood, Reichardt's distinctive spin on one of the most revered and masculine genres of the cinematic landscape is essential viewing.

After our 1pm session on 13 June, co-writer Jon Raymond will be joining us via phone for a Q&A.