Lenny isn’t your average incarcerated crook.   He’s a young, good-looking guy with some serious connections on the outside.  His father, Armando, is an extremely wealthy drug kingpin who wants nothing more than to see his son set free.  The $2 million reward he offers to anyone who successfully breaks his kid out of prison sets off a bloody chain of events that leaves Florida’s Brevard County reeling.

Shot for a less-than-shoe-string budget of $2,500, “The Money Trail” is about as indie as they come.  Husband and wife team, Ray and Migdalia Etheridge, are the creative force behind a growing catalog of microbudget films, of which “The Money Trail” is the seventh.  Mr. Etheridge, a veteran television cameraman, handles the technical side of the filmmaking process as well as the writing and directing, while Mrs. Etheridge handles production duties, make-up and serves as Mr. Etheridge’s assistant director, among other things.  Their streamlined production, resourcefulness and DIY attitude are to be admired.  Hollywood could learn a thing or two from the Etheridges about the merits of focusing on storytelling rather than expensive effects and big-name talent.

But as creative and inventive as “The Money Trail” is, the low production values still pose an array of problems.  The acting is noticeably amateur, the editing is uneven and awkward and the sound production is erratic and distracting.  The script could have used a few more passes as well to work out the kinks in the dialogue.  Still, to even get a cohesive story with only $2,500 is impressive.

This ambitious pair of small-scale auteurs is part of a growing worldwide revolution in the world of independent film.  Recent advances in digital video technology and affordable editing suites and filmmaking software have made it possible for almost anybody to make a feature film.  The Etheridges have enthusiastically grabbed that bull by the horns and assembled a respectable catalog of truly unique independent films worth the time of any microbudget movie fan.

Visit the film’s official website