Wendy and Lucy, by Kelly Reichhardt, is the story of a young girl on her way to seek her fortunes working at a cannery in Alaska. Her car breaks down and a variety of troubles ensue. It is a delicate, emotional film, a snapshot of frailty and strength, sorrow and determination.
I saw it at Frontier Cafe, a stunning movie theater and restaurant located in an rehabbed old mill. Frontier is a huge open space with panoramic views of a dam, waterfalls and a bridge. The food is healthy and delicious. It has vast ceilings, large tables and a little comfy living room area with sofas. The movie theater has long tables in front of the seats so you can eat while you watch eclectic movies. When I was there I had Vietnamese Pho soup with soba noodles, onions, snow peas, and other vegetables. The movie theater has long tables in front of the seats so you can eat while you watch movies.
The second great movie I saw was the documentary, The Genius of Lenny Breau, a movie produced by Emily Hughes, the daughter who barely knew him.
Lenny Breau (1941-1984) was a prodigal genius, a jazz guitar player who at the age of 14 was fronting his parents' band. His mom and dad toured Canada as Lone Pine and Betty Cody, playing country western tunes. Lenny eventually shifted into a unique jazz sound that combined flamenco, classical, and country. He was good friends with Chet Atkins, whose fingerpicking style influenced him tremendously. Lenny was also a drug addict, with a tenacious habit that often sent him home to his mom's place in Auburn, Maine, to dry out. He died in mysterious circumstances in 1984, though clean at the time.
The movie has some amateurish touches, with occasional lapses into schmaltz, but it's a great overview of Lenny and his work, with wonderful archival footage and interviews with an eccentric cast of characters, including Chet Atkins, Randy Bachman, Pat Metheny, Andy Summers, music critic, teacher and performer Ted Greene, George Benson and more.
There are excerpts from the movie and other videos of Lenny performing available on You Tube, such as this one, which demonstrates Lenny's incredible versatility and style.
"The sound of silence is intense." -- Lenny Breau
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