In a small American town still living in the shadow of a terrible coal mine accident, the disappearance of a teenage boy draws together a surviving miner, the lonely wife of a mine executive, and a local boy in a web of secrets.
Colangelo's directorial prowess is evident through her beautifully framed shots and the strong performances she elicited from her actors. Put her down as a filmmaker to watch, as you watch her debut film.
If Little Accidents never feels quite comfortable in its own skin, it's still evidence of a filmmaker who should have a lot to offer once she gets more secure in her (considerable) abilities.
Nothing feels forced in this movie, which is testament to Colangelo's skill as well as the cast's. You believe the coal dust on these people; you grieve for their secrets.
There's a quiet desperation to all the lives depicted in writer-director Sara Colangelo's assured indie about a West Virginia mining accident that upends everyone in town.
Colangelo doesn't make it easy, but she doesn't cheapen the viewing experience, preserving the delicate observational atmosphere of her accomplished directorial debut.
To her credit, the writer-director tries for complexity. Now if she can just get the storytelling to match the quality of the filmmaking, I suspect there will be fewer little accidents.
Owen tries with lurching uncertainty to ease back into normal, even as the writer and director Sara Colangelo clutters his path with enough obstacles to challenge the most heroically determined traveler.
