Review
Little Accidents (Drama) (2014)
Director: Sara Colangelo
Writer: Sara Colangelo
Stars: Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Lofland, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Lucas
The emotional aftershock of a tragic mining accident ripples through the lives of a small town's inhabitants as the investigation discovers secret reasonings, uncovering this fatal event could've been avoided altogether.
Premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, "Little Accidents" is Sara Colangelo's feature film debut, based upon her award-winning short film by the same name. Seeping with human nature and the psychological effects of a tragic event, it tells a gripping yet dreadful tale. Entirely filmed in West Virginia, it was produced by MindSmack Productions, TideRock Media, Maiden Voyage Picture, and Archer Gray Productions while being distributed by Amplify theatrically and Anchor Bay Entertainment for the DVD release.
When a tragic mining accident leaves a small American town in shock, the inhabitants slowly pick up the pieces, grieving the lives of those lost in their own ways. Following this grievous and avoidable mishap, the mining executive responsible loses his teenage son, completely disassociating from both incidents, leaving his wife to grieve a loss of her own.
In an intricate debut, Colangelo focuses on different lives, each with a distinct purpose of contemplating this loss. She isn't afraid to challenge melancholy, and her feature uses a gradual, almost languid pace that reflects a period of grief in many forms.
While the incident itself is integral to providing the plot, the rippling drama carries a dour and soft-spoken feature. Holbrook's Amos, Banks' Mrs. Doyle and Lofland's Owen deliver threads in a much broader narrative, each inevitably closing in on the other. While acting serves strongly, the town itself, in harmony with the tragedy, are characters of their own, furthering the oppressive guilt, remorse and sadness the inhabitants find within themselves.
Misfortune is palpable from the fateful event, and this coal mining town spirit with the talent involved heightens the shock carrying through in a woeful affliction. Harm brought upon the community by a disconnected mining executive in Lucas' Mr. Doyle, who separates himself to save face, even if only in his own mind. This provides a catalyst on Banks' part as Mrs. Doyle seeks comfort in the losses of others to grieve her own more personal loss. Holbrook always found solace in a job he'd be unable to continue. Since he was injured in the incident at the same time, harnessing the grief of being the sole survivor being obligated to recollect the grim tale. Lastly, Lofland's Owen is responsible for his brother with Down Syndrome since his father perished in the mine and now bearing his own burden, accidentally fatally harming Bill and Diana Doyle's only son, furthering the already experienced grief in the town.
Truly, it is always a pleasure to watch feature debuts, and Colangelo's first film, having directed several shorts, is no different. Inevitably, being hit or miss, it's always a surprise. For those relishing in dramas, this is an intensely melancholic experience that leaves you empty in the most positive way imaginable. Such an interlinking web of secrets and emotions isn't trivial. Know what you're getting into, and you'll be in for something that might not be the most memorable but genuinely respectable nonetheless.
Verdict
Anything but an accident.
7,0
