The acting. A lot of times in short films you get some random friends of the director acting or the director himself and it comes off as forced. Here we get Academy Award nominee for 'Good Night and Good Luck' David Strathairn, Neal Huff, and Tim Guinee, who all give convincing performances within a 15 minute span to get an understanding of their characters.

The film also looks really good. It is set at night and gives a good view of a dark, repressed small town. No neat camera tricks or CGI needed, just great shots of the actors talking mixed with the background.

The story. The story of a small town which has more beneath the surface has been done to death. The small town which is full of affairs, death, and mystery. 'The Shovel' really adds nothing new to that genre. It also hangs its hat on the all too familiar plot twist at the end. Since this is a short film, there is not enough time to really build to a suspenseful ending and it comes off as tacked on.

There is a lot of talent at work here, but is not fully utilized thanks to a thin, and uninvolving story.

• For more information go to http://www.myspace.com/theshovelmovie

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