Indie Film Review: Ava, A Twist In the Road (2022)

Synopsis

Ava has been with the love of her life for years living a lavish sheltered life. Overall she is happy and content. Then, in one moment, a tragic event occurs, and she finds herself navigating a world she never dreamed of.

Review

 In Ava: A Twist In The Road, we meet Ava ( Catherane Skillen) and Bobby (Bill Lewis); together for 25 years, they are more in love than ever. And Ava’s adored and pampered life with Bobby is shown through a flashback where he gives her a beautiful emerald bracelet to show how much he loves and admires her being in his life. When tragedy strikes, we discover Ava is not Bobby’s wife but his lover of 25 years as she rushes to the hospital to see him, only to be kicked out by Bobby’s venomous son Bob jr. (Steve Dellatori). He is hell-bent on stripping her of everything, even taking her car that she loved that Bobby had gotten for her. With Bobby gone, Ava realizes she just really lived for Bobby. She didn’t have to work or pay bills, and all her clothes were bought residing in the quaint condo Bobby got for her. Her days were filled with shopping, luncheons with her friend Leanne (Tannis Benedict), charity work, and art classes. Her world is now shattered. Does Ava crumble, or does she rise? 

Ava: A Twist In The Road is an indie arthouse drama piece written and directed by Catherine Skillen, A winner of 8 film festival awards, including Toronto Film Magazine Fest (2021) and LA Sun Film Fest (2021). It is not a surprise, though, as Skillen unwillingly captures you as we follow Ava on her journey to regain herself. I enjoyed how we get a bit of Ava and Bobby’s love story more in flashback glimpses. Learning it was not what we may have perceived, how Ava’s predicament is her own doing, and the importance of talking and setting a plan of what would happen if a partner dies. Uncannily though, Ava’s sweet naivety and her love and relationship with Bobby are so beloved you sympathize with her. You do understand her. 

Performances-wise, the cast did a great job distracting from the minor in-synchronicities of the film’s shaky camera work in spots. Skillen is a triple threat, though, as she also plays Ava (Skillen directed and wrote). Skillen gives Ava a sweet naivety and likeability that is solid and believable as Steve Dellatori (Bob jr.) shines while being the complete opposite of Ava as her nemesis in the film. 

 While I am not much for drama films, Skillen manages to grip me with her elegant storytelling. I became invested in Ava and her journey, and Skillen did not disappoint. I did wish, though, that Skillen had chosen a different font for the film. I felt the font didn’t match the story, and I had a hard time reading the end credits of all the people who helped bring Skillen’s story to life.  That is just me though.  

 My Rating 8/10

Ava: A Twist In The Road is available to watch on Prime Video and Tubi

Learn more about Ava A Twist In the Road at  https://www.catheraneskillen.com