Old Joy was a film I really needed to sit in for a bit after finishing. For much of the runtime I had gotten somewhat hung-up on the sense that this film was "sparse" in that too much attention was given to the quiet spaces and the scenic landscapes and not as much on the characters. Those sentiments are still there, but to a lesser extent, as I gained a greater appreciation for what was happening. I could feel this restlessness with the film because it was getting under my skin but that feeling of a sense of aimlessness, of feeling lost, without the same anchors as those around me felt all too real. In general, this film captured those feelings not just on an inter-personal level, but on a larger one as well as the left-wing radio show punctures the car ride to and from the wilderness of this sense of unease and simmering aggression at a larger directionless of the country as people endure the consequences. More than anything I could understand that desire to seek refuge and joy in the woods, but feeling the expansion of the city and its consequences into those spaces as well. Although not my favorite film by Reichardt, this film with its melancholy infused scenery is likely one to have an ever warmer place in my mind!