By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
The neo-western movie,
"The Stolen Valley" is an ambitious effort from first time feature film director/screenwriter
Jesse Edwards ("One Cent: Penny Hardaway" and TV's "Draft Academy").
The film follows Lupe, (Briza Covarrubias, TV's "Found" and "All Rise") a Mexican-Navajo mechanic who finds herself way in over her head when she joins forces with Maddy, (Allee Sutton Hethcoat "Triumph"), an outlaw cowgirl and rodeo rider.
Lupe is trying to scrape up money to save her dying mother Adamina (Paula Miranda, TV's "Crazy Fast"). Adamina instilled in her the pride for their native indigenous heritage.
Lupe's father, Carl (Micah Fitzgerald, "Amityville Uprising") supposedly died when she was born. However, stories abound that her dad is still very much alive and that he has acres of valuable land. If true, his property could certainly be used to help pay for the $50,000 worth of treatments Lupe's mother needs.
As Maddy and Lupe make their way to find her father and get to her mom, Lupe realizes that Maddy has been running from a gangster named Antonio (Ricardo Herranz, TV's "Emily Ever After") because she owes him $10,000.
Their paths cross when Lupe is at an automotive shop looking to buy a gun. Talk about great timing.
Now, the plot thickens as the young women try to escape from Antonio and his angry crew. This throws off their plans and leads them to some bizarre places like a dive bar where they try and fit in during a stage show performance. That act only buys them a little bit of time to escape.
"The Stolen Valley" zigzags with plot twists that don't always connect and a few of the characters who appear are interesting but turn out to be expendable. In the end, Lupe must stand up for her family heritage and not allow anyone to exploit her and the land they own.
Although "The Stolen Valley" is a low-budget western indie movie, it offers fans of the genre enough action and solid star turns from Briza Covarrubias, Allee Sutton Hethcoat, and Micah Fitzgerald.
Best of all, at a tight 105-minute running time, "The Stolen Valley" won't leave you feeling high and dry.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Look At This Trailer For
"THE STOLEN VALLEY"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
