Kelly Reichardt

The last weekend of TIFF is always bittersweet. On one hand, you’re so sleep-deprived from all the morning/early afternoon screenings that it’s a relief to have your regular schedule back in order. And yet, on the other, you feel a pang in your gut as you realize that the end is nigh – no more friendly crowds, no more of those endearingly irritating commercials, no more Q&As and no more beautiful venues to ogle over as you wait for the programmer to introduce the film (and TIFF has some cool programmers, too).

With its small scale stated in the title, Certain Women looks like a traditional Kelly Reichardt film. Intimate and low-key, her movies rarely stretch to include more than a handful of characters leading small lives. This minimalist style tests the patience of some viewers, while others find the delicately observed moments riveting.