This film is not only a great first directorial effort, it's a solid, excellent film, well photographed and with some lovely touches. I saw it at the Florida Film Festival a while back, and I'm surprised that it hasn't had wider distribution. I hope Mr. Cianfrance is getting other opportunities to make films, perhaps with larger budgets. He seems to be a very talented guy, with confidence, subtlety, and maturity already evident in his work.