i thought this movie was pretty good. i saw it a while back at a film festival, and that may have helped my overall impression. the audience was with it the whole way. *_*_*_ SPOILER _*_*_*-*_* Once the first big twist happens (an off-screen accident that was kind of cheesy, but still worked) , i felt like the movie was deflated a little bit. still, good first time effort. i'm not sure what the director has in store for us next, but i'll bet it will be a marked improvement. he does have a way of getting under your skin which is definitely a gift. i think this type of challenging material probably requires actors who are very experienced and comfortable in front of the camera. some of the actors here...to put it mildly would not qualify. if Mahler gets a chance to work with a bigger budget, i'm sure he'll be able to get actors who qualify.