Easier with Practice

While far from a perfect film, this is a welcome reminder of why indie film-making is so important. This is a story you haven't seen before, told in a bold and honest way, and willing to deal with complex emotions and no answers.

It all starts when a shy, introverted writer on a pathetic book tour(accompanied by his brother) gets what seems to be a wrong number a call from a sexy sounding strange woman that morphs into hot phone sex (all in one long multi minute take).

The odd development of this intense and mysterious ongoing phone relationship, and how it effects Davy's lonely life makes up the rest of the story, often going in delightfully or disturbingly unexpected directions (which I won't spoil here).

There are some real weak spots. Some of the actors aren't quite up to the sophisticated subtlety of what Averez is going after. No one is 'bad' but great actors in certain choice roles could have brought out much more. There also a cinematic cheat that is so obvious, and so central to the story that it really alienated me at a key moment. But I'm still glad I saw the film, and I find it resonating with me the next day.

Davy, a twenty-eight year old white male author is on a road trip with his brother to promote his collection of short stories, when one night, in a motel, he gets a random phone call for sex and embarks on a series of phone call encounters with a voice called Nicole. Inexperienced, pronouncing quite often the word "embarassing", he seems unable to find his way with embodied, to put it that way, women. The phone calls persist, one way always, then cease after Davy gets furious about the unreal premise of such a "relationship." Things, days drag, until weeks later Nicole calls back, and they finally arrange a revelatory meeting.

With a cinematic vocabulary proper for indie rock videos, and with a deceptively minimal approach, Alvarez may lure us into believing his film mode fits, even converts the story into a Raymond Carver one. There may be the random, fleeting and nostalgic empathy his stories exemplify, but here this roots into fully fledged individualization in the final confrontation.

Aided with a sensitive cast and armed with Brian Geraghty's most tender and haunted and Eugene Byrd's rustling, miraculous performance, the film from indie isolation and generic alienation transforms masculine identity's vulnerability and sense of precarious confrontation into poignant human recognition. The final scene, impossibly delicate and difficult to handle, preserving a sense of secrecy that signifies shared affect, is an instant classic. A very moving, delightful film.

(The opening credits are also pleasurable: tactile, from the snap-shot rhythm accompanying the soundtrack to the traveling of the camera revealing fragments of pulp fiction covers, as if tenderly mocking the human erotic interest, they are the most meaningful opening credits I have seen since Croneberg's "Spider" Rorschach opening.)

EASIER WITH PRACTICE is a well-written, low budget Indpendent film which is ostensibly about 'Phone Sex', but really explores the themes of Alienation and Loneliness. Brian Geraghty, who starred in THE HURT LOCKER, plays a scruffy young author on a book tour to promote a collection of short stories. He and his 'tour manager' brother are on the road in a beat up station wagon, and trek from one tiny, low-rent book store to another. Mysteriously, one night at a cheesy budget motel, he gets a random call from a girl who wants to engage in phone sex. After numerous such encounters over the course of many weeks, he begins to feel a much stronger connection to this enigmatic and enticing individual. Although he has numerous opportunities to meet women face-to-face, they don't seem to compare to the strong allure of the voice on the other end of the line. Although the film hinges on a Trick Ending, it is well crafted, and cleverly resists tying up every loose end. The film is shot in and around the picturesque city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has taken several honors at various film festivals. This one is well worth a look

As young, first time director, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, created quite a film, Easier with Practice, and is creating quite a stir. A passion of his since forever, was to direct and create movies. A lot of people do not know he is very musical also and brought great independent music to the film. He is very well read and a great writer. He really understands the entire process of movie making. Not every director has that gift. Everyone who worked with him on the film, have nothing but respect for Kyle Patrick. A 'true' Indie film made on a small budget. He casted the film perfectly. Although there is phone sex, the movie is really about an experience, a love story, a troubled soul. Based on a true story that was maybe 3 pages long, Kyle Patrick immediately knew upon reading it, he could make it into a full length movie. He is a Hollywood 'REFRESHER'! SOMEONE TO WATCH indeed.....

Writer Davy Mitchell takes his younger brother Sean on a road trip to promote his short stories collection. Davy gets a random phone call from a stranger named Nicole (voice Katie Aselton) in a motel. They get into a phone sex relationship. He meets Josie at a bar but he gets interrupted by Nicole and Sean brings Josie back to the motel room. Lonely introverted Davy begins a long distance relationship but Nicole refuses to give him her number. Sean teases him about it. Davy starts dating Sean and girlfriend Sarah's friend Samantha (Marguerite Moreau) after a party.

This has an interesting idea and a few interesting scenes. However even the good stuff is problematic. The lead character is so pathetic that it's hard to watch. Brian Geraghty is a good TV actor but this problematic lead has to be played by somebody with a ton of natural charisma. I'm thinking Paul Dano. Talking on a phone is not visually cinematic. Talking to Samantha is twice as interesting visually. The two-truths-and-a-lie game has great potential. Kel O'Neill really puts a big fat fastball down the middle of the plate. The movie needs Davy to hit it hard. It's a letdown moment. That should have been the turning point leading a big climax. Instead, it goes into an extended downhill slide and a final unsatisfying twist. Also Katie Aselton should not be Nicole.