What the fuck is cauliflower anyway? 

Such is the key question, somewhat denied, in director Natasha Straley's quick yet delightfully entertaining short film Cauliflower, which finds three friends, hilariously played by Connie Castanzo, Phoebe Torres, and Katie Hutch, gathered in the home of fellow friend Lindsey (Meghan St. Thomas). All is well as the menu is revealed until those two words are muttered...

Steamed cauliflower. 

Seriously. What the fuck is that anyway?

If you've ever found yourself gathered at the home of a friend for a meal only to be facing an either godawful or just plain unfamiliar dish, then you'll immediately get into the vibe put together by Straley and the film's scribe, Phoebe Torres. At a mere three minutes in running time, there's not a whole lot that unfolds in Cauliflower. I mean, seriously, it's Cauliflower. What else do you really need to have happen?

Playing the good sport who tries to reassure her friends it's perfectly alright if they don't actually know what it is, Meghan St. Thomas is a hoot as Lindsey while Castanzo, Torres and Hutch are flawless in their rapidfire comic execution both playing off one another and completely building off one another to the point of a perfectly executed ending that will undoubtedly have you laugh out loud. 

The lensing by Shoshanna Withers is energetic and inspired with lingering shots focusing on the increasingly hilarious faces of a group of friends who may or may not actually know what they're talking about. Evgeny Agarkov's original music companions the film's comic energy quite wonderfuly and Cauliflower becomes one of those small indie delights that you absolutely love finding at an indie film fest as it leaves you smiling long after the closing credits have rolled.

Cauliflower is set for its world premiere in May at the NY Independent Film Festival and one can easily see the film having a long life on the indie fest circuit. For more information on the film, visit the film's Facebook page linked to in the credits and if you can catch it at a festival near you you'll definitely want to do so. 

Straley is an indie film vet and you can tell she definitely understands what makes an audience smile, while Torres penned another film reviewed by The Independent Critic, Gary From Accounting. There's no question that we should be hearing more from both Straley and Torres, along with this terrific ensemble cast, in the future. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic