Coyote

Katherine Jerkovic’s followup to the solid Roads in February, Coyote follows a former chef (Jorge Martinez Colorado’s Camilo) whose dull existence is thrown into turmoil after his wayward daughter (Eva Avila’s Tania) asks him to care for her young son (Enzo Desmeules Saint-Hilaire’s Zachary) while she goes to rehab. Filmmaker Jerkovic, working from her own screenplay, does a superb job of instantly luring the viewer into the deliberately-paced proceedings, as Coyote kicks off  with a stirring opening stretch that superbly establishes the completely sympathetic protagonist and his low-key yet compelling day-to-day existence – with the promising atmosphere heightened considerably by Colorado’s thoroughly (and consistently) stirring turn as the subdued Camilo. It’s equally clear, however, that the movie tends to unfolds exactly as one might’ve anticipated based on the setup, and there’s little doubt, as such, that the lack of narrative surprises paves the way for a second half that’s perhaps not quite as effective (and affecting) as one might’ve hoped. (This is true also of the predictably and disappointingly downbeat finale.) Still, Coyote does, for the most part, come off as an engaging, striking character study that boasts a seriously impressive lead performance by Colorado.

**1/2 out of ****