In the age of superhero movies, writer/director/star Thomas Salvadore decided to put his own spin on things: thrusting an unobtrusive Frenchman with super powers into a quaint, indie romantic drama. The result is Vincent, a surprisingly alluring little tale shown at the 41st Annual Seattle International Film Festival (#SIFF2015).

Salvadore plays the title character, who for reasons never explained gains super powers whenever he is exposed to water. While he mainly uses his powers for his own purposes, and eventually to impress his new girlfriend Lucie (Vimala Pons), he is forced to use them more publicly after helping to protect his friend and subsequently drawing the attention of the police.

Vincent is a very quiet movie, with not a lot of dialogue but plenty of scenes of Salvadore swimming through beautiful canyons like a dolphin. The movie has no evident CGI, nor does it really need it, but Salvadore does a tremendous job of showcasing his character’s powers in a very subtle, grounded kind of way—while drawing the audience in with gorgeous footage of the French countryside.

The movie often runs the risk of being too low key for its own good, but at a breezy 78 minutes and thanks to the tight editing and methodical storytelling approach, Vincent is never boring. The action-packed climax, though hardly featuring true “action,” is entertaining and a natural result of the events pieced together earlier in the film.

Salvadore’s approach is confident and said confidence resonates throughout the film, though Vincent would have benefited with a little more development between the two leads. Salvadore seems content to keep things nuanced, but the relationship between Vincent and Lucie needed more fleshing out, more direct attention to highlight their chemistry and sincere love for one another.

Vincent is no Avengers, nor does it mean to be, but it’s a solidly made little movie that is full of pleasant surprises.

Review by Erik Samdahl.