Cardinals

Valerie Walker (Sheila McCarthy) is released from prison after a drunk driving incident sent her away. Her daughters, Eleanor (Katie Boland) and Zoe (Grace Glowicki), bring her home. Her dead victim's son Mark Loekner (Noah Reid) asks her questions about the incident, but the answer is unconvincing. The incident is more complicated than the explanation in court.

There is one big mystery and that's about it. The audience is left waiting and waiting for the slow reveal for an hour. The reveal is way too slow. By the time that everything is laid out on the table, the movie is almost two thirds over. They need to reverse the distribution and reveal much much sooner.

.the movie wasnt too bad but it was a struggle to stay engaged. You do feel like if you look away you will miss the thing that explains it all, but like so many indie films, it just ends. The writer ( or whoever was in charge of the film ) couldnt come up with anymore story and said " thats a wrap".the movie wasnt too bad but it was a struggle to stay engaged. You do feel like if you look away you will the movie wasnt too bad but it was a struggle to stay engaged. You do feel like if you look away you will miss the thing that explains it all, but like so many indie films, it just ends. The writer ( or whoever was in charge of the film ) couldnt come up with anymore story and said " thats a wrap".miss the thing that explains it all, but like so many indie films, it just ends. The writer ( or whoever was in charge of the film ) couldnt come up with anymore story and said " thats a wrap". Oh well.

Sad, dark, expressive.... acting with expression was well done, characters spot on, this film held my attention easily, made me think, I really enjoyed its quality....

This is an exceptional piece of film work. A very tight, very smart screenplay and an excellent cast make for a terse, intense, complex movie.Sheila McCarthy really is so much of the film's strength. The title role called for a strong, seasoned actor, and McCarthy shows she was more than up to the task. So much is expressed by her without a word; which can also be said of the other expressive actors. Don't pay any attention to the 'Short Attention Span Theater' types calling this film 'slow', 'boring', or how nothing happens. They need to stick to Vin Diesel, Adam Sandler, and rom-coms. The movie's only 84 min. How can it be too slow if it's not even an hour and a half? I'm guessing several were too confused by it much of the way through and were pissed that they couldn't figure out what was up before it was fully revealed. Don't blame the film for being smarter than you.

Don't let the low ratings fool you. This is a great debut for Grayson Moore and Aidan Shipley; with very smart direction. Aided by well paced, atmospheric beats, and outstanding performances. This is not your typical character study on a family torn apart by a mistake nor is it your typical picture that follows one woman's redemption arc as she grapples with a mistake that cost her everything. This original script builds tension in the most uncomfortable way and boils over during the final 10 minutes of the film. Some will find the ending unsatisfying, hence the low ratings, but for those who can appreciate the unconventional approach to this story, you'll find it just as satisfying as the first and second act.