Depressed divorcee who also lost her furry best friend unexpectedly finds strength and purpose in an impulsive rescue.

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

Let’s Go is the title of this poignant short and, in this case, it is a phrase of motivation. After wallowing for six months after a painful divorce, the main character Jessie is lucky enough to have a good friend Carly to encourage her to start her life again. The actress playing Jessie proves able to portray a woman who has reached rock bottom, staring catatonically at a store freezer or drinking too much wine in her messy house and falling asleep on the couch to gloomy TV ads. Her depression is more fully confirmed with the narrative device of letting us hear her inner negative self talk. In contrast to this gloom, the performer playing Carly gives off energy, confidence and warmth and motivates her friend to dust herself off and get moving, notably urging her to run, a former favourite activity.

The cinematography tells the story in a smooth naturalistic manner which works for this domestic tale, except for some effective close-ups, notably of Jessie’s expressive eyes, some low shots, and a CGI twinkle. While the film presents several musical pieces, two stand out: How Long Must I Wait? is a rueful song which matches Jessie’s initial sadness, and Grateful Day, is an optimistic song near the end, as Jessie rescues the dog from an abuser and enjoys her life once more. A satisfying film, it affirms that even after a devastating situation, with a combination of caring friendship and inner motivation, all is not lost.