When a poor black man commits suicide, his ex-wife (Tarra Riggs), son (JimMyron Ross) and twin brother (Micheal [sic] J. Smith Sr.) all have different ways of dealing with the tragedy. His twin withdraws, while his ex becomes enraged and fights to get the house and small storefront he owned put in her name. His son gets in trouble with a few local hoodlums and drops out of school. It’s all very grim in Lance Hammer’s minimalist film that won awards at last year’s Sundance festival. While the film features strong, realistic performances, it’s so slow-moving, it’s virtually mind-numbing. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. At 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5 and at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7. HH

This article appears in Mar 4-10, 2009.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.