Susan Hero

"Susan Hero" is an engaging film. The main characters are very likable, but they come by it naturally. Indie films often try too hard to make up quirky or lovable characters, but these characters are real. Neither the script nor the acting begs us to care about them—we simply do, because of who they are and what they're going through. Though the film is billed as a drama, it's not ponderous, and never boring. There were numerous points where I smiled, though my reaction was always evoked from the truth of the situation, never because I was being told, "wink, wink, laugh here."

Writer/director Jason Rosette achieved miracles on what was obviously a small budget, making the most of available locations, and even finding some wonderful local talent to play out a secondary story thread with Native American characters. The camera work is very good but not flashy, keeping us focused on the story and not the technical.

Speaking of technical, since this is a low-budget film there are some minor technical issues, but by the time I noticed them I didn't care, because I was so engrossed in the characters' lives. Finally, Rosette did an excellent job of finding the right music (once again, not overdone) to help set the tone of the film.

"Susan Hero" is a very enjoyable film, and if you're an indie filmmaker, you just might learn a thing or two from it. One last comment: I'm very surprised Drea Pressley and Jaime Estrada haven't done more since this film. If the right people see this film, they will.