A tight little drama about a poor mother living in upstate New York (Leo) whose louse husband has run off with their savings. She works a crappy job at an All A Dollar and can't get a promotion due to ageism in her workplace. When she goes to look for her husband on the nearby Mohawk reservation, she comes across her car, which was stolen by a Mohawk woman (Upham). The Mohawk woman forces her at gunpoint to go across the frozen river from New York to Canada and bring some illegal immigrants over the border for cash. Though she doesn't want to break the law, the mother realizes this may be her ticket out of the misery she's in. Little does she know that the Mohawk woman has her own legitimate reasons for needing to break the law for some cash.
The story was solid, and the acting was, for the most part, spot on. Leo, Upham, and McDermott as the oldest son are extremely capable leads and give passionate performances. The whole thing felt very believable, and Hunt's writing shines in crafting sympathetic and desperate characters.
The main complaints I had were a few awkward directorial choices (a few shots seemed a little silly) and the medium on which it was shot: I'm a fan of shooting on high definition video, but this looked a bit amateurish. Still, the story and acting were so compelling that I wasn't bothered much. Hunt's writing talents are so strong, all she needs are a good cinematographer and art director to really take things over the edge. I hope to see more from her.
The story was solid, and the acting was, for the most part, spot on. Leo, Upham, and McDermott as the oldest son are extremely capable leads and give passionate performances. The whole thing felt very believable, and Hunt's writing shines in crafting sympathetic and desperate characters.
The main complaints I had were a few awkward directorial choices (a few shots seemed a little silly) and the medium on which it was shot: I'm a fan of shooting on high definition video, but this looked a bit amateurish. Still, the story and acting were so compelling that I wasn't bothered much. Hunt's writing talents are so strong, all she needs are a good cinematographer and art director to really take things over the edge. I hope to see more from her.