Sophie (Amanda Forstrom), a Civil War surgeon, takes her fiancé William (Zack Rukavina) home to meet her parents and gain their blessing.
Tensions rise as Sophie’s father realizes Williams’s arm is amputated. And during dinner, Sophie’s family learns she is the one who performed the surgery.
For a short film on a budget, director Julia Neill depicts the Civil War without making it look like a dramatization seen on the History Channel. The film looks absolutely stunning.
The narrative about having a disability is done well. At first it is made light of, then unravels into a serious commentary.
This is all done through a fantastic cast. Each actor gets their moment to shine, but Amanda Forstrom does steal the spotlight. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
My biggest critique is some of the actors’ diction didn’t meet the time period, but it wasn’t noticeable enough to take you out of the story.
Union is a well-written story that somehow manages to feel cinematic on a tight budget. While it did move a little slow, the story was impactful and had a great cast.
Slamdance 2021 Review: Union
Score
Review Nation Score
Union is a well-written story that somehow manages to feel cinematic on a tight budget. While it did move a little slow, the story was impactful and had a great cast.