Uncertain Terms (2014)

Directed by: Nathan Silver
Country: USA

Movie Review: Independent American film director, Nathan Silver (“Soft in the Head”), who briefly pops up as an actor, just needed 75 minutes to structure an interesting little drama about a group of young women who are admitted in a shelter home for pregnant teenagers. Actually, the facility located in the countryside, is the residence of Carla (Cindy Silver) who runs everything with excessive devotion. The girls are introduced mostly through conversations, in which they sadly explain their misfortunes and why they don’t have the support of their parents or the father of their kids. One girl, Nina (India Menuez), with a flamed-hair and freckled face, stands out from the others due to a melancholy that drags us to the personal problems with her pushy delinquent boyfriend Chase (Casey Drogin). With the arrival of Robbie (David Dahlbom), Carla’s 30-year-old nephew, whose heart is broken after catching his wife cheating on him, things will turn increasingly complex for Nina since they enjoy talking with each other, getting closer day after day. This evidence immediately triggers jealousy, not only in the puerile Chase, but also in some of the girls who start gossiping, throwing the matured-for-her-age Nina into an extremely difficult situation. Impelled by strong impulses, Nina and Robbie seem to know what they want, but life is not easy and the story, just like a well-orchestrated soap opera, takes its course toward a dramatic finale, which didn’t have the striking impact I was hoping. Notwithstanding, Mr. Silver showed to have strong teeth to chew low-budgeted dramas with solidness and personality. I found some resemblance here with the superior “Short Term 12”, based on people in need of attention who, in a dedicated facility, keep trying to find their own space and the best way to be loved.