'Lefty' Chicago Tribune's Metromix "Top 10 Movies of 2009..." Some low-budget indies are minimal to a fault, where not much happens and nothing of interest really comes to light. Not "Lefty," a quietly convincing story of Irish-American Chicagoans confronting changes in friendships and priorities. It's remarkably natural, like you're observing a group of real people with real problems and pasts. How often do you see a movie and say that? - Matt Pais

'Lefty' Chicago Tribune's Metromix "Now that’s how low-budget filmmaking is done" It’s reunion time for a group of old Chicago friends, as Fudd (Billy Phelan) returns from Iraq and Danny (Thomas Madden) comes back from Colorado to see Fudd--and to deal with the possibility that Danny has cancer. The buzz: Those are some heavy experiences weighing on this ensemble drama, set primarily among Irish-Americans on Chicago’s south side. Here’s hoping writer-director Todd Looby steers his debut toward blue-collar honesty and not melodrama. The verdict: Looby understands what most Hollywood filmmakers don’t, which is that we get to know and care about characters so much more when they act like real, flawed people and not phony, stupid movie characters. “Lefty” moves with the ordinary ease of everyday conversation and male-bonding shenanigans, its relationships as well-established as they are forced in a movie like “The Hangover.” While paced quicker than it should be, “Lefty” is a moving, authentic snapshot of shifting friendships, neighborhoods and priorities--and why people say it will all be OK, whether they believe it or not. Did you know? Dave (Bill Boehler) tells Danny that, unfortunately, when a company is going down the tubes they’re not exactly looking to hire new staff. The world is so unfair! - Matt Pais

'Lefty' Kansas City Star: My favorite drama of the [Kansas International Film] fest, Todd Looby's coming-of-age film is about 30-something guys who have been slow to grow up. Danny (Thomas Madden), an artist from Colorado, and Fudd (Billy Phelan), who just returned from service in Iraq, are reunited in their old Chicago neighborhood with their high school running buddies. There's much drinking, smoking and partying, but beneath the ribaldry is a serious look at lost boys finally forced to come to grips with their mortality. The acting - usually the soft spot in indie films - is excellent. The movie has a genuinely lived-in feel. - Bob Butler