Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, and Peter Sarsgaard…eco-terrorists
“NIGHT MOVES” My rating: B+ (Opening June 13 at the Cinetopia and AMC Studio)
112 minutes | MPAA rating: R
For want of a better description, Kelly Reichardt’s films are often called “minimalist.” They are made simply, without a lot of technical razzle dazzle, and they concentrate on characters, not big effects.
But just because Reichardt eschews the big melodramatic moment doesn’t mean her films are emotionally barren. Her “Old Joy” was an aching study of two men on the brink of middle age who have outgrown their friendship. “Wendy and Lucy” will resonate with anyone who has loved a pet. And her Western “Meek’s Cutoff” was a harrowing tale of settlers lost on their journey through the Great American Desert.
“Night Moves” may be her most conventional film to date. It’s a thriller, a genre with whose tropes we’re all familiar. And yet the gentle Reichardt touch is evident everywhere, with an emphasis on atmosphere and slowly building tension rather than big action set pieces.
In fact, the film’s biggest moment takes place off screen.
Butler's Cinema Scene 