Cost of Living

This very low-key small-town noir stars Edie Falco (The Sopranos) as Billie, a petty con artist who drifts into town on a stolen motorcycle looking for her next mark. Before the bike cools Billie has fingered the gullible enough looking local Ben...only Ben soon turns the tables, and Billie finds herself playing a game with much higher stakes than she has ever wagered before. Falco gives a complex, multi-layered performance that's the film's main draw, and supporting performances by James Villemaire as Ben, and Andrew Lowery as Billie-befriender Ted are complementary. The tech credits are adequate, though the minimal lighting and some choppy film editing make the story difficult to follow at times. Cost of Living won't 'wow', but this measured, atmospheric indie favorite has enough twists to hold the viewer's interest, and a fine lead performance by Falco. A strong optional purchase. (S. C. Sickles)