We Are Boats

After prostitute and single mom Francesca (Angela Sarafyan) is shot to death by a client, she finds herself in the afterlife, where there is a lot of waiting around to get an appointment with mid-level management to talk about her future and her strong wish to see the daughter she left behind. In order to earn the latter, Francesca must return to Earth as a sort-of angel, tasked with helping people to get ready to die, or absorb the death of loved ones. James Bird’s We Are Boats is potentially a nifty little melodrama and Sarafyan is a strong actor who can play part saint, part siren. Which begs the question why Bird would even consider pointing his camera away from her, especially after building his entire first act around Francesca. But he does, plunging the movie into an ensemble soap opera co-starring Graham Greene (who rises above the script), Luke Hemsworth, Gaia Weiss, Amanda Plummer, and others. When connections between these characters begin emerging in the film’s final stretch, they are more conducive to eye-rolling than insights. Optional. (T. Keogh)