Sweet Little Lies

A sweet little dramedy, this independent feature from director William J. Saunders is a bit of a mishmash story-wise, but goes down smoothly thanks to the charm of its lead actors. Caitlin Kinnunen stars as teenage orphan Bess, who goes on the lam with her surrogate moony younger brother Waldo (Joseph Montes) when a state caseworker comes looking for her. Stealing a car, Bess and Waldo head toward Las Vegas in hopes of meeting up with the former's estranged father, a one-time Elvis impersonator. Along the way, they meet Roach (Bill Sage), a likable con man with a heart of gold, who weaves in and out of their adventure and tends to turn up just when they need him (or when he needs them). Saunders employs a few cartoonish effects, some of which are funny (a villain who communicates through the mail slot of his front door), while others feel forced (a panhandler-thief who tries to turn the kids into his own Artful Dodgers). The filmmaker also uses pure animation to fairly good effect, bringing to life the wire toys Waldo uses for escapist fantasies. While the ending seriously strains credulity, the actors ultimately make it all worthwhile. Recommended. (T. Keogh)