Writer/director Mark Battle has assembled a solid little indie effort with The Janitor, a 15-minute short film about a hitman "cleaner" who faces a moral dilemma when he discovers that a job he's arrived to clean up isn't quite finished. 

The hitman is played convincingly by Michael Coppola, whose almost Michael Madsen like presence weaves itself perfectly into the fabric of Battle's black-and-white lensing and sparse dialogue. Nicole Celso's make-up and effects work pretty well with the lensing as well, with victim Wayne Shore stylistically bruised up and battered. 

The Janitor does a nice job of making you think throughout its running time, but Battle also makes sure the film entertains. The Independent Critic caught a rough cut of the film, and it's quite likely that the sound mix will improve itself a touch in the film's final cut. 

The Janitor is a solid effort with a strong chance of making waves on the indie and microcinema film fest circuit. While it may be  hindered somewhat by the relative familiarity of its storyline, Battle has done a solid job here and it'll be interesting to watch the film's festival journey. 

© Written by Richard Propes 
The Independent Critic