I will always treasure the fact that I consistently receive low-budget indies hoping for a review, especially from someone who does have a large readership and who is a Tomatometer-approved film critic. This time around, the film is writer/director Logans Daniel Rodrigues's 29-minute short All That Remains (Tudo O Que Ficou), a familiar yet meaningful film shot in Morro Grande, Brazil, and centered around two siblings (Rodrigues along with Isabella Saccon) during the 2020 pandemic dealing with conflicted family and awaiting news about their grandmother and her suspected COVID-19.

All That Remains is set for its premiere at the Canada International Mobile Film Festival where Rodrigues has already snagged a nomination for Best Actor in this festival devoted to films shot with a smartphone. The film's a no-budget effort utilizing smartphones effectively to integrate performers from across Brazil including São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro.

Rodrigues gives a richly internalized performance with Saccon also being quite effective throughout. The film's entire ensemble cast does a nice job of capturing the anxiety and heightened emotions of those pandemic days that we'll likely all always remember. Rodrigues's own lensing for the film is obviously no-frills yet dramatically impactful. The film also features complementary original music that carries the story's emotional rhythms.

All That Remains explores a multitude of themes - grief, isolation, and connection being among the strongest of them.  There's a definite market and audience for smartphone-produced films, and All That Remains is a well-produced, meaningful film with strong storytelling and a talented cast to really sell it. Here's hoping it continues to find the audience it really deserves. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic