Sand Castles

In a sea of virtual oil spills for flicks, I have been watching a lot of foreign/indie films. Yes this is low budget, a bit old in movie world, but transcends its financial limitations through realistic ground in its telling. It's worth watching through to its bittersweet finale with more than one surprise revelation. I'm giving a high rating mainly because I don't believe this is a work of fiction, I believe it's someone's actual life story, and if it isn't, many elements of it ring with truth. If you need a blockbuster to be entertained Indie film viewing isn't for you.

First time after thousands of films, feeling the need to comment here. This film can simply be teaching material, how acting should not be like... Main character, Noah and especially his partner, Alison and then that detective... Hard to believe they're really casted by a professional, too bad!

It always makes me question the quality of the movie when the highest review ratings are by people who have only reviewed this movie and no others. Are they attached to the movie somehow? I watched 20 minutes and could have gone longer but it seemed like a movie very a low budget - not that there is anything wrong by that, but I need to be in the right mood to see it through. The 20 minutes I watched wasn't bad, I just didn't want to spend the rest of an hour on it. If I go back to it, I'll update my review. Sorry guys.

I do not write reviews, but I signed up because there is something special about this film. It's got an indie grittiness that you love in movies like Winter's Bone, but with a light, love and beauty (cinematography is amazing) that you would see in a Terrence Malick film. The story is full of nuance and things you "get" without being told, almost philosophical at times. I read a reviewer called it "Hauntingly poetic", which is a perfect term for it. But like most good movies, you either really love it or you really don't. I loved it. The cast is subtle and raw, the music is captivating, the story is complex and subtle (pay attention to the details, some I only picked up on 2nd watch)... and the cinematography is beautiful. The film won a lot of awards on the film festival circuit and for good reason. Bottom line: The movie made me feel different than most.

P.S. There is an important scene in the middle of the end credits, so stick around!

Ten years ago, little Lauren Daly (Anne Winters; Wicked City) was abducted while on a family trip to the beach. Devastated, the remaining family members spend the next ten years battling against alcoholism, depression, and suicide. Sand Castles depicts a tragic story of a lost childhood and the lives affected by that loss.

Ten years on and Lauren's brother, Noah Daly (Jordon Hodges), is taking care of his now alcoholic mother with help from his uncle Tommy (Randy Spence). Quick flashbacks reveal why Noah's father is no longer in the picture; an event that also took its toll on their family. The household is squeaking out a type of existence although it is clear that Lauren's disappearance hit them hard. But then they get a visit from the detective who has been on the case since he was a rookie. He informs them that they have found Lauren alive and it throws their new world for a loop.

Now a teenager and unwilling and/or unable to speak, Lauren tries to reintegrate into her broken family with the detective and a case worker looking over their shoulders. The case worker does her best to help Lauren, including taking her to a play based on a worn out book she carries around. But the presence of alcohol does not help. Lauren's mysterious return also re-energizes the investigation into her disappearance. Clint Howard co-stars as an eye witness who believes he saw Lauren getting dropped off where she was found; an account that leads Tommy down a dark, potentially heart breaking path.

The use of flashbacks is nearly perfect in this film. They tended to be short little clips introducing characters or circumstances just when that information is most useful. For example, when the detective is introduced, they have a quick flashback to him as a rookie getting the call of a missing person (Lauren). It's not too drawn out, gets the exposition out of the way, and keeps the story flowing at a decent pace.

Overall, Sand Castles is an interesting, emotional roller coaster. The characters are (mostly) likable and the actors are very respectable in their parts. The plot is depressingly believable and shows that your world can change in an instant both for the worse and for the better. I would have preferred a bit more closure regarding Lauren's kidnapping, but stick around during the credits for a bonus scene that does wrap up a few last threads of that mystery.

• Bradley Smith, Red Carpet Crash