A patient, observant mood piece, Old Joy put director Kelly Reichardt on the map, instantly making her a critical darling. Two longtime friends (Daniel London and Will Oldham) embark on an impromptu camping trip, an experience that only delineates the fault lines that adulthood has opened between them. (London’s Mark is married, employed and expecting his first child; Oldham’s Kurt is a neo-hippie vagabond who audits physics classes.) Reichardt captures the little nuances of male friendship – especially the way silence speaks volumes – but Old Joy also overplays the vague card, especially in its last 15 minutes. Issues of politics and sexuality are hinted at here and there, then set adrift in a hazy indie ether.
