A 10-minute short film shot in Travelers Rest, South Carolina by up-and-coming student filmmaker MJ Slide, Gone for the Day is a light, breezy and charming dramedy about two people who find themselves wandering a small town together while attempting to get over a failed relationship.

Slide, who gave us 2011's thought-provoking short The Saving, proves even more gifted at both penning and directing this kind of easygoing yet substantial relationship short. While Gone for the Day doesn't necessarily cover any new ground, the ground it does cover is entertaining and appealing thanks to Slide's two marvelous characters played winningly by Catherine Allen and Daniel Bostic.

Allen, in particular, has a sort of drifter charm about her that makes you constantly wonder exactly where her character's going to go. It's easy to buy into Allen's willingness to suddenly spend the day with this stranger, both because there's a simple yet honest connection between them and, perhaps even moreso, because he truly may hold the key to where she needs to go next.

There occasional times when the low-budget nature of Gone for the Day is a bit obvious, especially where the sound mix is concerned, but between the performances of Allen and Bostic and Slide's confident yet assured direction this is a film you find yourself wanting to keep watching throughout its 10-minute running time. Slide capitalizes on the natural beauty of this small town in South Carolina, primarily utilizing local small businesses for her locales. The camera work is top notch throughout the film, and the action is accompanied by the sort of soundtrack we've come to expect from your usual quirky indie dramedy.

Gone for the Day is currently on the film festival circuit. For more information on the film, visit the Gone for the Day Facebook Page.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic