2008 / Kelly Reichardt > Michelle Williams gives a terrific performance in her portrayal of a twenty-something in search for a new life, but with complications of love and loss in between. But this love and loss is more specifically symbolized by her dog, Lucy. Whether you own a dog or not, the metaphor works on many levels, but unfortunately what doesn’t work for me is the final punch. It’s tender but unlike the pull that Gran Torino had, where I’d become entangled with the characters (regardless of the film’s fundamentals), here I just couldn’t care by the end. Maybe I’ve become a bit cynical with this style of filmmaking, but it tends to be very hit or miss for me. It is a style that should get its due of respect, but nobody should be forced into liking it.