Diving into the world of independent cinema is a veritable game of roulette, you are almost always unsure the outcome of the game but you always hope for the best. Some times you win and some times you lose, but you enjoy the vice because of that thrill in not knowing. In my time writing for Rogue Cinema, as well as at my own website, I have learned that you ultimately can't judge anything you receive on the basis of its outward appearance. In the case of The Waterhole, which I was thoroughly unaware of before popping it into the DVD player, I was completely oblivious to just what this little number might hold in store for me. Granted, I had the film's website via an e-mail and I could have watched the trailer but where would the thrill in that be? The minimal artwork gave the impression that this movie did indeed have something to do with a bar of some kind, so after seeing how generally young the cast were in the opening seconds my mind immediately went to the "college comedy", but that's about as distant a staple as you could possibly get with The Waterhole. You can't judge a film by first appearances and that remained abundantly clear to me as this intense and emotional dramatic film began to play out in front of my eyes. The Waterhole is a comedic drama that deals in the failures of life as much as its successes, and although it's not a perfect flick by any stretch of the imagination, it is very well made and features some of the best performances I've seen on the truly independent circuit in quite some time.

Miller (played by Patrick J. Adams) is your average, directionless, twenty-something who spends the majority of his time down at the local bar. He hangs out with his two best friends and has a good time watching life go by. When he discovers that his girlfriend of quite some time has been cheating on him, he breaks it off with her and sinks into a solid state of depression. Spending every hour fighting against sobriety, he starts to spread his bitter attitude to anyone willing to listen to his complaints. One of his friends has recently bought the bar that they spend their time at and his other buddy has decided to propose to his longtime girlfriend, seeing their happiness just progresses Miller's attitude. When the trio's good friend, who has been missing for several years, Cracker (Joey Klein) just walks back into their lives all of a sudden - he brings with him a "anything can happen" dynamic. However, will it be for the better or worst?

Director Ely Mennin isn't exactly a new kid on the block within the film industry, working for over a decade on various sets in various positions, he as well as his cast and crew bring with their film a lot of mileage; as well as ability. The performances, from all members of the cast, are universally on the good side. There's really not a single person here who didn't at least come off looking "good", which is something that tends to be more of an exception within the indie film community, rather than the rule. Standing out is Patrick J. Adams, as our leading man, who confronts his own emotional demons as well as the turmoil of the end of a relationship with a girl he truly loved. Similar to Jon Favreau's Swingers in that sense, but with Adams coming off as infinitely less whiny. I also really enjoyed the character of Cracker, played to perfection by Joey Klein. The character brings with him both chaos as well as redemption, and whether our characters are willing to listen up to that redemption is something entirely up to them. The characters, and the situation found in this script carry an iteration of emotional depth that continually spirals into something very touching and inspired.

Shot on what is no doubt a very modest budget, The Waterhole is a very well made feature. It looks crisp, clean and very polished. It at times follows a relatively conventional line that it never seems to tread across. Where you expect it to be more brash and daring, coming from the world of independent film, it doesn't leap out to you. However, after all is said and done, I commend it for not being conventional and force feeding us the ending that you would have expected. This is where the project really takes its stand. It is ambiguous, but strong and I commend the filmmakers for that. I do recommend The Waterhole for fans of more serious dramatic work and those wanting something to sink their teeth into, from a characters emotional level. I think there are some names involved in this film that may break out into bigger things within the next few years! You can read more about the feature from the website

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