Kelly Reichardt is one of the most important filmmakers working today: she has her own sensibility – which some might describe as ‘minor’, to use musical terminology – that she brings to life by writing a story with performers that are exceptional (testifying to her ability with actors) through which to represent the great symphony of the history of the United States. Minor, because she never uses flashy cinematographic means, apart from the breathtaking shots and lighting, to weave the dialectic between her characters' petty problems – which, however, involve the noblest part of human nature, namely sentiments – and the great construction of the American nation (in this case, particularly the conquest of the West and the birth of capitalism).  It is a historical portrait, albeit one made up of the outsiders and lower classes of society. Starting from an extremely fine script, Reichardt depicts the complexity of historical progress via characters who are as determined and straightforward as her storytelling.