‘Cement Suitcase’ tastefully wines and dines its audience in cheeky fashion
Writer-director J. Rick Castaneda’s indie film Cement Suitcase has an off-kilter winning spirit that soars above its quirky pathos. Infectiously witty, irreverent and bouncy, Castaneda’s nifty narrative takes a charming approach to spotlighting one young man’s dalliances wine and life lessons decline. Beautifully shot and fortified with solidly impish performances, Cement Suitcase is a reminder that our existences–no matter how stable, stagnant or scattered–are unpredictable and can never be as definitively defined as a vintage bottle of Merlot. Castaneda’s adventurous direction and smart writing arms this soothing dramedy gem with the right kind of gently wacky reflection and radiance.