Two strangers, Jonathon (Rory Wilson) and Eloisa (Elena Saenz), meet by chance in a neighborhood cafe in writer/director Oscar Adams's just over 12-minute short film Trolley, a film destined to elicit memories of Linklater's Before films yet a film that serves as an entirely different beast of its own. 

Despite the challenge of neither Jonathon nor Eloisa speaking the other's language, the two discover common ground and form a friendship over the course of their day with one another. 

Beautifully photographed by Samira Oberberg using the Arri Amira, Trolley is a quiet treasure of a film that benefits greatly from appealing performances by its co-leads, Rory Wilson and Elena Saenz. Both have an easy likability about them, a natural charisma that draws you in and doesn't let you go. One can't help but feel just a bit of tension, especially in Saenz's performance as a young married woman and mother who finds herself challenged as a Spanish-only speaking person in an area where it would seem such a fact isn't quite embraced. 

While Trolley is a short film, it could easily be a longer one as the dynamics between Jonathan and Eloisa speak to universal truths and issues that remain relevant and infinitely compelling. 

Trolley is already gaining traction on the film festival circuit having been selected to appear at multiple fests including CineYouth, IndieFlicks, Drunken Film Festival, Berlin Flash Film Festival, Beer Town Film Festival, and St. Albans Film Festival with others unquestionably to follow. 

Music by The Ha'Pennies boosts the film along quite nicely, while Adams himself deserves credit for packing just enough drama into the film to give it a spark and energy without trying to accomplish too much in the film's nearly short running time. 

After having taken a month off to devote myself to a local film festival, jumping back into shorts with Trolley was the perfect way to get going again as the film quickly reminded me of how much I enjoy discovering and sharing about these little gems. 

For more information on Trolley, visit the film's official website linked to in the credits. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic