For all but the biggest cinephiles, the Academy Awards shorts categories can feel like a game of chance, seeking to throw off viewers’ shots at winning the office Oscar pool. Shawn Christensen’s “Curfew” picked up the prize for 2012 in live-action short, and his film has been expanded into the full-length “Before I Disappear.” The feature gains a few recognizable faces and roughly 80 minutes in the translation, while it loses some of its charms, proving that sometimes less is more.
Depressed and deep in debt, Richie (Christensen) is in the midst of a suicide attempt when his estranged sister Maggie (Emmy Rossum) calls in a panic. She needs Richie to pick up her 11-year-old daughter Sophia (Fatima Ptacek) from a recital and keep an eye on her for a few hours. Richie reluctantly agrees, but a few hours turns into a day. Richie takes Sophia across New York City, sharing both late-night bowling and his aggressive boss’ Chinese takeout. Despite Richie's mindset, it's not as dour a premise...
