Showing Up

Date:
16th April 2025

Cert: 12

Duration: 1h 47min

Showing Up (2022), the latest film from American independent director Kelly Reichardt. We have shown several of her films at Cinematheque, the heart-breaking Certain Women (2016) and First Cow (2019) were standouts, but also look for Meek’s Cutoff (2010) and Night Moves (2013).
Michelle Williams stars as a sculptor in Portland, Oregon, getting ready for an important show, but is plagued by personal and family problems. Reichardt’s films are from the ‘slow cinema’ school, giving the audience time for contemplation, with their minimalist and realist storylines, usually of working-class characters on the margins, in small rural communities, seeking a better life. I love her films.

A handcrafted wonder… a beautifully acted\ expertly modulated film The Hollywood Reporter

Audience Reactions

A: 02, B: 02, C: 10, D: 09, E: 09

A: It was a little slow but I loved Lizzy’s girls…..not too sure about her…..all the background noise that gets in the way – that’s what I have to take away. Artists have to say NO — (A)

B: Strangely watchable, especially when sculpting in her woolly socks. I fear the family drained all the joy out of Lizzy’s life. Glad the pigeon survived, I was certain it would break its neck on the windows! London Art school memories flooding back from the 70s; it was pretty self indulgent then too! (B)

C: Rather strange. Artwork was intriguing – good acting (C) Strangely absorbing, well acted, bizarre but engaging (C) I enjoyed the visuals & the subject matter was interesting, but it was a little hard to hear some of the dialogue sadly. Well acted and filmed.(C) It had its satirical moments – unfortunately, not enough of them. (C)

D: Too slow to begin with-finally became engaging but tension building too obvious. Music at the end . over credits too loud/base. Like the Art (D) Poor ending-missed a lot of dialogue – seemed a film about pent up frustrations – pent up emotions. – Not a lot happens! Disappointing! (D) Tedious! I hope that she now has hot water. (D)

Best character was the pigeon (D) Yes, life gets in the way; the figure sculptures were interesting (D) A modest reward for putting up with it after such a slow start. Frankly: forgettable (D) Was the soundtrack intentionally sometimes indecipherable? Nobody seemed to relate to anybody else much. Nobody seemed happy or very fulfilled. Is that the fate of artists? By the end I felt like getting in a hole I’d dug like Sean’s. Not much joy when that bird freed by Sean either. (D) Intriguing sculptures. A below average film. Not good sound music/quality. (D)

If the point was to explore the vacuousness of a particular American artistic community, then it succeeded. If there was some point, then it completely passed me by (D)

E: Tedious, banal & pointless unless a parody of self indulgence & pretentiousness (E) Background music (noise) far too loud. No story – worst film yet! (E) Slow, very poor audio, neither entertaining or informative (E) Waste of time. Never get these two hours back (E) RUBBISH. Even the credits were self-indulgent (E) A dud (E)