AWOL
is the kind of short film that takes advantage of its truncated running time:
it moves quickly, never fails to look great and hits with as much emotional
impact as full length features. It's
the story is of Joey (Kayla Dempsey), a girl who decides at the very last
minute that she'd rather run to Canada than go to war overseas. All the joy and turmoil of making that
kind of decision is present in Dempsey's face, and she does a great job keeping
her character emotional without overacting the part. The film is wonderfully shot and edited, with a few really
impressive opening scenes in particular, making for a tidy film about dreams
and disappointment. AWOL debuts at the 2011 Sundance Film
Festival and is not to be missed.
