Dances With Films World Premiere Review: ‘Tender’

The closing night entry of this year’s Dances With Films was Tender, the feature debut of writer/director Adam Hoelzel.

Tender tells the story of Mick (Jesse Garcia) and Billie (Jess Wexler), a millennial couple whose marriage is on the rocks, due to a mountain of debt and the resulting stress. But Mick has inherited a house from his uncle in a small, peaceful town, and it’s given them hope that they begin again.

It doesn’t take long for them to face the cold light of day, however. First of all, Mick doesn’t really own the house. He needs to pay off property taxes before he can claim it as his own. Added to that is growing mistrust between them and suspicions of infidelity, and the couple decides that it would be best if they split up.

On the eve of their divorce, fate throws an obstacle in the way in the form of a gold bar that they find hidden in the house. They take it to a pawn shop run by Daniel Hirsch (Robert Longstreet) and nonchalantly ask him if he can sell it for them. Hirsch has been around the block a few times, though, and he can see through their false bravado. He tells them that it could take months to find a buyer — if one can be found at all — and his services won’t come cheap. They leave the bar with him in exchange for a small deposit.

Shortly thereafter, Hirsch shows up at the couple’s house with bad news. He’s discovered that the bar bears a mark. He believes it is the mark of a drug cartel, and certainly no one will touch it. Mick insists that he can burn it off, but Hirsch can only scoff. He’s not going to risk his life for a few lousy bucks.

As the plot continues to intensify, Hoelzel adds another twist in the person of Nash (David Koechner), a tough ex-con who conspires to claim their house as his own. Good fortune seems to strike again when the couple discovers many more gold bricks behind the walls — a fortune. They go back to Hirsch with the offer of a lot more money if he can move the merchandise.

Realizing that they must maintain a unified front, they put their divorce on hold, but still nothing seems to being going their way. Here, the writer/director does an admirable job of intertwining characters like the town’s mayor (Robert Peters) and his ambitious daughter (Shakira Barrera) who inexorably become drawn into the couple’s scheme.

Production values for Tender are solid. The story is brought to life by fine performances from all, attractive cinematography by Antonio Cisneros and an evocative score by Connor Schon.

For his debut feature, Hoelzel directs with an assured hand, demonstrating that he’s a talent to be reckoned with.

Feature photo: Jess Wexler (top) and Jesse Garcia (bottom). Photo by Ryan Geary.