Old Joy

Two estranged 30-something friends try to reconnect during a camping trip in the Pacific Northwest.

Old Joy isn’t so much a story in a narrative sense, but rather meditation, and as such, it’s likely to appeal more to viewers able to relate to its core themes.

The story, what little there is, concerns two thirty something friends, one a father-to-be with a house in the suburbs, the other an aging hippie living on the fringe of society, who head out for a weekend retreat to a nearby hot spring. While they were once very close, it’s clear now that their lives are heading in opposite directions.

This setup allows director Kelly Reichardt to explore the nature of time and its effects on our lives. The two men reminisce as they travel, yet each of their memories is touched by the passing of time, whether it be the record shop that’s now a juice bar, or the roommate who’s now living in California, nothing is what it was. As the film’s brief 76-minute running time progresses, it becomes clear this trip is something of a funeral for their lost friendship.

The performances by the leads, Daniel London and Will Oldham, are spectacular. Both men mange to convey droves of feeling with minimal expenditure. Watching them interact, you feel how neither man is able to recognize the other, and how both are unsure if they even want to.

Some will no doubt be put off by the lack of narrative and slow pace, but for those that can relate to Reichardt’s themes, Old Joy will resonate long after the credits roll.