Katie Says Goodbye

Torture porn is kinder to its victims than "Katie Says Goodbye" is to its heroine.

The point of this grim first film by writer-director Wayne Roberts is that lousy things happen to innocent people. But Katie is guileless to the point of stupidity.

The fact that the lead character is so utterly guileless and innocent and kindhearted -- she's essentially a smiley face with a "KICK ME" sign taped to her back -- makes Katie less a victim of the world and more a victim of writer-director Wayne Roberts.

Wayne Roberts' powerfully low-key drama gets under the skin.

Even if first-time writer-director Wayne Roberts is sympathetic to the plight he's chosen for the protagonist, his film never burrows deep enough under her skin to make the string of miserable scenarios connect in a meaningful way.

All in all, Wayne Roberts’ directorial debut is a strong character composition.

Cooke gives a tour de force performance that Roberts smartly captures in a series of long takes.

Cooke gives the character such an indomitable spirit that she single-handedly lifts Katie Says Goodbye above its own miseries.

It's a powerfully evocative story with outstanding performances, beautiful dialogue, and most importantly, a lasting effect of optimism.

Playing an uplifting song at the end of a film doesn't resolve the absence of thematic meaning that was lacking throughout the entire movie.