Severance

An excellent first film from cinema's newest renaissance man, the talented Troy Miller. Austinite Miller writes, acts, and directs with the skill of a seasoned veteran. His narrative and comedic sense rivals, if not bests, other famous first outings (e.g. Swingers, Clerks, and Garden State). Like those, one can sense the autobiographical nature of the story. Miller uses his own unemployment from the high-tech world and the use of his own severance to fund his dream as the springboard.

That's only the beginning. Miller takes the opportunity to creatively craft a screenwriters dream. This story is well-paced with a nice arch. Scenes and dialog are witty, while still advancing the story. It's evident how well-versed Miller is in cinema with all the nods the film makes to Bogart and Woody Allen films. The combination of a noir detective story, contemporary topics, a coming (or reviewing) of age drama, a colorful cast of characters, and elements of a love story serve a recipe of refreshing and compelling cinema. Audiences will laugh and think. They will move to the edge of the seat and back. Add quality editing, cinematography, and an original jazz score and you have a winner. Hollywood, America, and Austin cannot wait to see where Miller's career will go from here.