"River of Grass" is essentially an update of the couple on the run story familiar from "Badlands" and "Bonnie and Clyde", except in this instance the mismatched pair, Cozy and Lee, aren't connected romantically, have committed no crime worth running for (after swimming at night in a neighbour's pool they accidentally shoot at, but miss, the owner) and if they are trying to escape anything it is only the monotony of their suburban Florida lives.
Lisa Bowman's performance as Cozy is the focus, she also provides the spare narration, and it's hard not to feel for her as she tries to fulfil her dreams of something better when she can't even get past the toll booth on the motorway.
Kelly Reichardt's debut feature is hampered by the tiny budget and limitations of her cast, but there is enough quality in the storytelling and effective recreation of location and atmosphere to see the promise that would be realised through her increasingly confident and impressive films - "Old Joy", "Wendy and Lucy" and "Meek's Cutoff".
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dombrewer
"River of Grass" is essentially an update of the couple on the run story familiar from "Badlands" and "Bonnie and Clyde", except in this instance the mismatched pair, Cozy and Lee, aren't connected romantically, have committed no crime worth running for (after swimming at night in a neighbour's pool they accidentally shoot at, but miss, the owner) and if they are trying to escape anything it is only the monotony of their suburban Florida lives.Lisa Bowman's performance as Cozy is the focus, she also provides the spare narration, and it's hard not to feel for her as she tries to fulfil her dreams of something better when she can't even get past the toll booth on the motorway.
Kelly Reichardt's debut feature is hampered by the tiny budget and limitations of her cast, but there is enough quality in the storytelling and effective recreation of location and atmosphere to see the promise that would be realised through her increasingly confident and impressive films - "Old Joy", "Wendy and Lucy" and "Meek's Cutoff".