WHINING LOW

Svetlana, a gas station worker from Texas, witnesses an unpleasant situation when she identifies one of her customers as being a local child kidnapper. Now she is faced with a moral dilemma, because this might be her chance to escape and go home, but, at the same time, the situation might be a little trickier than it might seem. She happens to be a Russian immigrant, illegaly employed, so she can’t reach for the authorities’ help, because she could also be exposed.

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Her struggle is brilliantly captured by the cinematography, neat and always on point, having that Western-ish allure and stressful conflict that somehow makes us think at the Coen brothers work. ''Whining Low'' is a blend of a great story and an impeccable way of displaying it on screen. The story flows naturally and the poignant score is making us feel the overwhelming loneliness of the main character’s situation.

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The acting is very good and convincing, although in several scenes is needlessly dramatic and slightly exaggerated. The writer-director Sergio Zaciu is to be congratulated for getting his vision made this way. His style is maintaining the tension in this film, as every scene was skillfully thought out and perfected. Basically, it is very hard to find major flaws in this short film, as it is packed perfectly and ready to go.

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However, the most impressive thing about this film is its story which is basic yet maximized by all the other elements which go into the making of it. To say it in simple words: an intense and impressive watch!

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