Writer-director Sara Colangelo expands her 2010 short film Little Accidents into her first full-length feature, which recently received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. The film provides a gritty, ugly look at the consequences of a tragedy and the way guilt eats at the souls of the denizens of an American blue-collar town. There’s enough talent on display, from a promising filmmaker to a breakout cast, to make Little Accidents a modest watch, but its paper-thin characters, awkward romantic subplot, and predictable conclusion reduce the overall effectiveness of the film–a shame, because it’s the type of small independent film you want to root for.

Word travels fast in small towns. Little Accidents reminds us of this and shows how tragedy is able to divide the small community of Beckley, West Virginia when ten coal miners die in a collapsed mine. The sole survivor, Amos Jenkins (Boyd Holbrook), feels the weight of a guilty conscience as locals pressure him into silence to protect the main source of the town’s income. When interrogated on the safety of the coal mine, Amos squirms in his chair, his eyes to the floor as he insists on having no memory of the accident. We watch Amos, physically and emotionally damaged by the tragic event, conflicted as to whether a large settlement is worth shutting down the town’s mines. He remains at odds but never seems tempted by the money.

The mining accident sets off a domino effect of bad fortune throughout the small town. Mining executive Bill Doyle (Josh Lucas) and his wife Diana (Elizabeth Banks) receive their share of backlash from locals who blame them for the accident, ranging from a smashed windshield to violent threats. As if that wasn’t enough, their lives (and marriage) get more tense when their teenage son JT (Travis Tope) suddenly disappears. What they don’t know is that their son often bullies a boy named Owen (Jacob Lofland), who sticks up for himself during an altercation that leads to a fatal accident. The only witness is Owen’s younger brother who, like Amos, gets pressured into staying silent on the manner.

In connecting the three stories of Amos, Owen, and Diana, Colangelo stirs up some intrigue. Owen and Diana’s connection is the most terrifying of the two. He forms an appreciation for Diana while hiding information about her son that the audience is aware of, making it downright eerie to watch the two of them interact. Guilt-ridden, Owen volunteers yard work services to the family, eventually realizing he can’t make up for his involvement in their turmoil. Meanwhile, Amos stumbles into an affair with Diana, which seems not only far-fetched but a silly distraction from the more compelling drama at hand. The fault isn’t in the varied stories, but rather on how they’re manufactured to connect with each other. Perhaps Colangelo attempts too much in playing with an intertwining narrative in her first film.

Despite great performances all around, in particular from the young up-and-comer Jacob Lofland (Mud), it’s difficult to sympathize with these underwritten characters. While it’s understandable for them to keep their distance from the small-town society and their rumor-spreading, it makes the viewer feel alienated, so it’s difficult to comprehend what the characters are actually thinking. Holbrook’s excellent performance expresses his inner turmoil with limited dialog, but there’s more ambiguity than necessary. Given Little Accidents was written and directed by a female, it’s ironic that Banks received the most dull, stereotyped role in the film, playing a privileged housewife who turns a blind eye to the wrongdoings of her husband and eventually cheats on him. Lofland rules the screen with his ability to carry the weight of guilt and suffering on his shoulders better than most actors twice his age.

Little Accidents suffers most from a conventional ending that undermines an otherwise elegant story and steers it into familiar territory. The film’s heartfelt intentions, solid acting, and moody presentation are not enough to overcome its watered-down characters and predictable story.

The One I Love

The One I Love is a genre-bending psychological, comedic (in some parts), dramatic romance story that follows Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss), an unhappily married couple seeking new thrills through their couples therapy sessions. The story is well written and the film is excellently executed. Duplass exemplifies the emphatic character with his extremely likeable mannerisms and familiar character traits. The dramatic reflection of married life is well paced and had the audience emotionally invested as their story progressed. Using only one location, Duplass and Moss were able to express a very personal experience to the unlikely implications of a relaxing “weekend away” to rebuild their relationship. In the end, The One I Love is a surreal, surprising, and enjoyable fantasy version of marriage counseling.

RATING: 8.7

Little Accidents

Pinpointing the exact reason why this film is worthy of this rating is difficult, there are so many. Little Accidents is not only a beautifully shot film, but it also had the collectively incredible cast whom were unwavering in their individual performances to portray isolation, betrayal, heartache, and the wonder of the human spirit in the face of sorrow. Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook and Jacob Lofland are the films driving force and carry the weight of their character profiles extremely well. Little Accidents is a heartbreaking story of loss and the pressure of a society that has conformed to a poverty stricken way of life. The towns inhabitants work their fingers to the bone and some are at risk of life threatening conditions all to put food on their tables and a shirt on their back.

Little Accidents was shot entirely on location in West Virginia and has a very convincing authenticity about it. The grey, misty atmosphere, the natural forest backdrops and rundown neighborhoods are all suggestive that what you’re seeing is real. It’s easy that this traumatic event had a lasting effect on the town.

RATING: 8.8

The Voices

The town of Milton is home to pink overalls, pink trucks, pink forklifts, and a population of 4,000 including one disturbed young man named Jerry (Ryan Reynolds). This endearing, yet mentally unstable, factory worker initially tries his very best to blend in to society–volunteering to help organize the office party, doing his best to always wear a smile. However, as unfortunate events occur, Jerry loses his ability to lead a normal life and becomes increasingly more involved and allied to his psychosis and is unable to identify what is reality.

The Voices aims to bend the rules of the psychological comedy genre by featuring a unique storyline. Reynolds plays a fantastic l”oveable” psycho serial killer and the comedic values he brings to this film are brilliant and welcomed. The film is a tremendous accomplishment. I’m sincerely optimistic for it to have a universally enjoyed worldwide release.

RATING: 8.9

Returning to the Sundance London Film Festival this year, I’m excited to witness the big hits that Park City’s Sundance Festival brought us. Some of which are: Frank, Memphis, Fruitvale Station (UK Premiere) and Blue Ruin. Although Sundance London is still quite small, the lineup is nonetheless impressive. Some of the stars and filmmakers in attendance this year are: David Cross (Hits), Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), Sara Colangelo (Little Accidents), Michael Fassbender (Frank), Ryan Reynolds and Gemma Arterton (The Voices). Below I have highlighted my 5 most anticipated films that will be playing at Sundance London 2014.

#5 – Hits

David Cross makes his directorial debut with a comedy about a paranoid municipal worker named Dave, his The Voice obsessed 19 year old daughter, a wannabe teenage rapper and their neighbours in a small, working-class town in New York. Hits is a satire towards the absurd nature of the Internet age through a collective cast of some of the funniest comedians around at the minute. I’m very optimistic about this comedy despite some of the negative feedback it received at Sundance in January.

#4 – They Came Together

After briefly hearing of this film in January, They Came Together looks to be a homage of the romantic comedies of classic American cinema. With hilarious cameos throughout, I have high hopes that David Wain (We Hot American Summer) will be able to truly capture the art of modern American Comedy.

#3 – The One I Love

Staring the director of one of my all time favourite films (Jeff Who Lives at Home), Mark Duplass plays the husband to Elizabeth Moss’s character Sophie, both of which are trying to recreate their magical first night together due to the drudgery of their current unhappy marital state. The One I Love looks to put a lot of focus on a highly relatable modern love story.

#2 – The Voices

The Voices consists of a mix match of genres including: comedy, crime, horror and thriller aspects which features the names of Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton and Jacki Weaver. Jerry (played by Reynolds) is mentally ill and has been avoiding taking is prescribed anti-psychotic medication which instigates severe hallucinations in the form of his cat telling him to be a serial killer. That’s enough synopsis to make this a most anticipated film.

#1 – Little Accidents

This debut feature by Sara Colangelo is supported by lead actors Boyd Holbrook and Sundance London alumni Jacob Lofland (Mud) and explores the intricacies of small-town social order. The film also illustrates how in times of tragedy, we find the unlikeliest of places. The main reason this film is at the top of the list is due to the uniqueness of the story. From what I can tell (without reading any spoiler reviews from Sundance in January) Little Accidents includes a superb cast who are able to carry the dramatic narrative that is suggested.