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Based on an Elmore Leonard story, this Oscar-nominated British short tells a solemn story of redemption. Ruben Vega (Francesco Quinn, TV’s INTO THE WEST) is a horse thief who has come to rethink his thieving and whoring ways. When he discovers a pretty woman named Sarah (Charlotte Asprey, TV’s ELIZABETH I) living alone in a shack in the desert, he becomes captivated with her story. Eleven years prior, she was kidnapped by Indians, tattooed on her chin and forced to live like a squaw. When her husband finally finds her, he is ashamed of her condition and hides her away from polite society. Ruben makes it his mission to bring Sarah out of her isolation and take back her life.

The film has a meandering tone that isn’t uncommon to the Western genre, but robs the film narrative thrust. From the direction to the acting, the short goes for a simmering dramatic effect, which at times feels more theatrical than cinematic. The actors move like their striking a pose, not conjuring a performance. Moreover, despite its slow pacing, the story seems to make emotional leaps that ring false. I can’t comment on whether sections where cut from the original story, but director Daniel Barber and screenwriter Joe Shrapnel never make us believe in the relationship between Ruben and Sarah. She goes from guarded and removed to trusting and vulnerable too quickly.

Barber, with cinematographer Ben Davis and production designer Johnny Green, paints a cinematic landscape that is beautiful. This look, the pacing and the muted performances all come together to create a nice somber tone, which is right for the material, but also distances us from the characters. As a result, the movie techniques get in the way of the story. All this said the film isn’t a complete failure by any means. With all its problems, it held my interest, especially from its wonderful photography. Barber plays one note well for 35 minutes, but it leaves us wanting to hear the rest of the song.

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