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I enjoy indie films and I tend to watch a lot of them. I enjoy them because every once in a while you come upon a little gem. Well for me, that's how I feel about this wonderful indie film. I loved the story and the acting. The acting was spot on and the story very relatable. Great job all. You get a thumb's up from me on this one.

A VERY strong lead performance puts this intriguing indie above others. If you enjoy a good slow burn, I recommend checking this one out. Well worth your time.

"Ava- A Twist In The Road" is a brave, touching indie film about loss, survival, and rebirth that explores issues that big budget, mainstream films are reluctant to explore. It tells the story of a mature, late middle aged woman named Ava who has it all - an affluent lifestyle,a beautiful home, and a devoted lover soulmate named Ben who provides all the aforementioned luxuries. But then Bob dies, and Ava loses not only her soulmate but his income. When Bob's hateful son contests his will, Ava is left penniless has no choice but to look for work. Writer, director, editor, and star does an excellent job of telling Ava's story. I say her film is brave because not many filmmakers, even indie ones, are willing to make a film about an older protagonist. A memorable film.

In "Ava: A Twist in the Road," triple-threat director, writer, and actress Catherane Skillen has crafted a powerful character study that thematically explores the power of love and the overwhelming emotions associated with loss. Catherane provides a strong performance as Ava, an older woman struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her soul mate. Her raw performance, coupled with strong supporting performances, amplifies the emotional story, and keeps the audience rooting for Ava's success. For a drama rife with pathos, the pacing is perfect and the cinematography, editing, and score all work together to support the film's message: find strength in loss.

In this day and age when we seem to be offered one superhero movie after another by Hollywood it is really refreshing to be told a human story that is realistic and doesn't shy away from the big subjects such as love or grief. Director Catherane Skillen carefully leads her wonderful cast through the ups and downs of a terrible loss and the eventual light at the end of the road. The style is realistic and avoids all the typical Hollywoods mistakes of adding unnecessary schmaltz by emphasizing emotional scenes with exaggerated. This cut -to-the- bone storytelling is so much ore convincing and gives the carefully laid out characters a chance to develop organically. I highly recommend this movie.

A truly poignant film where the main character suffers great loss but finds the courage and strength to rise above. Great cast & production value! A must see!!!

I really appreciate that this film has a strong female lead, who is also older, which we don't see in many movies. The story had good conflicts that escalated in an interesting way. There were parts that were a little slow, but ultimately it is a good watch!

I was very impressed by this indie drama and by the wonderful performance of Catherane Skillen. The film very effectively tells the story of Ava, a woman who unexpectedly is forced to rebuild her life at a later stage in her life. I love how this film fights ageism and shows you that no matter where you are in your life, it is never too late to change your ways and start over. I was very moved and engaged throughout Ava's journey, even when it seemed hard to relate to her at the beginning, she's a fully fleshed character who quickly wins you over and makes you root for her. It is also incredibly refreshing to see 50 plus women in leading roles and I truly wish there were more films like this.

A relatable, universal story. Kept me wondering what was going to happen next; was not expecting the twists and turns. It's a relationship drama film that you will still be thinking about even after you watch it.

I can not believe prime video actual aired this, Poor Poor acting and painfully slow and the main charactor didn't feel sorry for her at all. Watched the whole movie haha the whole time asking myself why, why are you watching this my 2 bits.

First of all, I would like to highlight the impressive naturalness of Catherane Skillen's outstanding performance, which carries the entire film. I was delighted to discover that she is also the director and writer of this movie. She has an interesting way of conveying ideas through characters and dialogue.

A Beverly Hills story with a strong message at the end.

Highly recommended!

One thing that the mainstream film industry constantly fails to do is make films about older people. Many legendary older actors in the industry are often sidelined in favor of younger generations in most films. Older women have it even worse, often being relegated to specific roles, like the evil stepmother. A range of stories can be told with an older protagonist and older women and AVA: A Twist in the Road shows this off well.

This film is anything but a traditional drama. The story beats that are expected of the film don't happen. Instead, the film goes on a more freeform path where major story and character elements just happen. Is this a bad thing? Far from it. Movies shouldn't have to be predictable, because why would I want to see something where I can predict what's going to happen in the next scene? Although the film doesn't have a traditional approach, it ultimately succeeds at telling a story about moving on and becoming self-sufficient.

Some of my favorite shots in the film have to be when Ava is grieving in her home after learning of Bobby's tragic death. Unlike some films that I've seen, Ava's portrayal of grief is very accurate. She shuts herself in away from her friends, drinks her sorrows away and struggles to move on. Meanwhile, her neighbors and friends try to help her move on from Bobby's death by bringing her food and flowers. Throughout the film, Ava struggles to overcome her loss, as her previous idyllic life begins crumbling around her. Despite the film's strengths, there are a few problems I had with it. Some of the film's dialogue felt a bit too on-the-nose. Additionally, some of the lines delivered were a bit weak, and I also felt a few of the scene transitions were a bit too tacky at times and could have been toned down a bit.

Carrying the film is our lead played by Catherane Skillen. Her earnest performance makes Ava both relatable and likable. While she doesn't nail every line delivery, her performance feels very real, something many actors struggle with. My second favorite performance has to be Tannis Benedict who had the best line delivery as Ava's best friend, Leanne. However, I felt that Louie Mandrapilias as Michael was a bit stiff on his line delivery in his first few scenes, but noticeably improved later.

Overall, AVA: A Twist in the Road is good in its general storytelling and message. However, its technical side does suffer a bit, which occasionally takes me out of the film. Despite this, the film makes up for this by making Ava a likable protagonist who perseveres through and through. Is this film a perfect movie? No, but then again most films are not. But is it worth watching? Yes, I think it's worth a viewing, especially for those who are either undergoing or have underwent the cycle of grief.

The lead grandfatherly actor is strong and solid. The lead grandmotherly actress struggled throughout. Some shaky camera movements didn't fit in or were done by mistake and without use of a tripod. The "f" word was used at least twice unnecessarily. Some of the other actors seemed new to acting. I guess the biggest drawback was how slow the movie was it just seemed like it dragged on and on.

Ava-A Twist in the Road is a film that details the aftermath of a late in life tragedy that undoes all the plans made. Facing loss, the main character works through a maze of situations, people, emotions, and grief, and shows how she navigates the competing agendas and needs of those she comes in contact with. It also deals with her own issues that need resolution to move forward. Ultimately, this is a wonderful film that makes one think what choices would I make if faced with the same situation. Nice acting and a well produced movie for those in a contemplative mood.

It's a realistic story which many will be able to relate to. It has a good mix of sad and charming. I really enjoyed Catherane Skillen's performance and see in the credits that she also wrote, directed and executive produced the film, which is not an easy task. Kudos to her for this accomplishment! One of the reasons I watch indie films is because a lot of them are based on realistic and relatable stories, unlike many mainstream films today. There are many touching, heartfelt and also awkward moments which will leave you caring for the lead, the supporting characters, and the situations they find themselves in. I cared because I actually know people like Ava, and could emphasize with her heartbreak, loss, sadness and desire to find strength to move on. I feel like one of the takeaways of this film is, "It's never too late"... Never too late to start all over again, never too late to gain your independence and confidence, never too late to let go, reinvent yourself, or start a new life. Another very important takeaway for me was the need to change when your circumstances change; importance of finding strength to overcome grief. The film felt personal in a way because I have a very close relative who was unable to recover and regain himself after loss. Seeing him wither away was a big tragedy. Glad that Skillen's character was able to let go and find inner strength to change along with her destiny.

I've worked as a financial advisor for many years and I have had scores of women relate the same situation that this movie is talking about. They have a loving partnership with their mate, but during their entire time together it was always the man who took care of all financially related matters. Often times, the woman will say that she's not good with money, or that her husband is far better. Then when the man suddenly passes, the woman is often in financial dire straits because there was no planning or education. There are a lot of character archetypes in this film, especially rich, pampered older ladies who may one day find themselves in the same position as the main protagonist, Ava. What I found interesting about Ava, was that she wanted to live her new, unexpected situation on her own terms, even in the face of incredible stress and adversity. I'm sure this one will resonate with a lot of folks.

A compelling little indie about grief, co-dependency, strength and relationships. Very well made with delightfully heartbreaking performances. Loved the lead actress and most of the supporting cast as well.

'AVA: A Twist in the Road' by Catherane Skillen tells the story of the titular character as she navigates well, a twist in the road. That road being figurative of course in this bumpy thing we call life. Ava (Skillen) and her long-time partner Bobby (Bill Lewis) have a loving and healthy relationship. Just like all long-term relationships however, it isn't perfect. Bobby is away a lot for work and Ava wishes that they spent more quality time together. Suddenly, Bobby passes away and leaves Ava all alone. Having relied on Bobby for literally everything through their life together, this proves very difficult.

Firstly, having an older woman as the focal point of the story is certainly refreshing, as is the portrayal of she and Bobby's relationship as loving, playful and sexually active just as that of a younger couple, which is something that is often forgotten and not played up as much on the screen.

The narrative is clear and focused with a very straightforward A-B structure but just as the title alludes to, there are twists in the road and the loss of Bobby is not the only one. In addition to all the stress that Ava is facing trying to navigate life without the one person she counted on, Bobby's son Bob Jr. Ahem, I mean "Robert", bitter about the fact that his father left his mother for Ava, is trying to make sure that she gets nothing from his father's estate. At first, this sub-plot was interesting and even felt like the film could take on a thriller quality but it was dismissed rather quickly and ultimately the foundation laid and the characterisation of Robert ended up being unnecessary.

There are certainly some filmmaking wins in 'AVA' and a stand-out scene comes during her attendance at a party that she doesn't really want to be at. The scene takes on a dream-like quality as Ava is approached by a variety of people all sharing their personal opinions and stories with her, whilst the sounds of conversations and laughter close in creating a claustrophobic feeling which is reflective of what somebody in her situation might feel in a social situation, and will certainly be relatable to anybody who has experienced social anxiety.

There are some good performances here, mainly from Skillen and she manages to elevate those around her who give weaker, but not bad performances. Paired with some questionable editing choices and dated transitions, 'AVA' at times sort of resembles a Sunday afternoon soap opera. Bill Lewis as Bobby is also a standout,

The film isn't really sure what it wants to be with a shifting tone from light-hearted to depressing with the colour pallet and soundtrack to match. Of course, grief is a big part of the affair and that grief is less suggestive and more in an on the nose "I'm holding this knife and you know what that means!" kind of way. It's not an issue per se, but it wasn't totally necessary and seems to really want to make sure that you understand how depressed Ava is, assuming we aren't already aware of the impact that an event like this can have on a person.

The end comes rather quickly with the runtime clocking in at just 1 hour and 14 minutes. The film fails to deliver a big payoff as one might expect however there is a very nice moment of clarity to close.

Overall, 'AVA: A Twist in the Road' is an interesting but flawed picture with some relatable themes of love, loss but also serves as an important cautionary tale of making sure to take charge of your own life and not rely entirely on somebody else.

I ran across this delightful little indie film and must say I was impressed. I have always been a sucker for a movie that has hope as it's underlaying theme and this is a cautionary tale with just that.... HOPE. I love that the writer/director/producers or whoever decided to tell the story with mature actors, using issues people must face as we age. Too often Hollywood movies overlook these issues and struggles. This indie film does it in a beautiful way. It is a bit of a slow burn but it held my attention and I recommend it to be both young and old. A lot can be learned from watching a movie like this.

I didn't want to admit adored this movie. While I am not much for drama films,I was gripped with the elegant storytelling. Watching was easy, and I soon became invested in Ava and her journey. Performances-wise, the cast did a great job distracting from the minor in-synchronicities of the film's shaky camera work in spots. Skillen is a triple threat, though, as she also plays Ava (Skillen directed and wrote). Skillen gives Ava a sweet naivety and likeability that is solid and believable. A lovely sweet, touching film.

This thoughtful, poignant drama is about a woman starting her life over after a tragedy. The movie asks, what's it like to find yourself starting over when you least expect it? Life throws us curve balls and the movie made me realize that it's essential to have contingency plans for our future and not to put all our eggs in one basket. Ava, played by the writer-director, Catherane Skillen, put her eggs in one basket and now finds her life upturned. Ava is essentially a widow but what makes her more interesting than similar characters is that she is the "other woman" in the relationship and has to deal with her partner's angry, vindictive son, forcefully played by Steve Dellatori. Luckily, Ava also has a best friend played by Tennis Benedict who offers her the loyal support her character needs to find a way forward with her life. There's a real honesty to these characters and Skillen plays Ava with an emotionally-moving mix of fear, caution, and determination. I highly recommend this movie to those facing a new start and hoping for a way forward.

This was a good movie. The writing was good along with the directing of the film. I wish the ending was different. People really need to have their affairs in order because when the inevitable happens. What now? This film definitely challenges people to think.