Easier With Practice – 4*
It’s great to come away from a film and feel genuinely challenged by what you’ve seen. It’s even more rewarding when that film is a debut offering that isn’t just trying to jump on the pretentious, holier-than-thou indie bandwagon and actually has a point to make in a non-confrontational manner. Low-budget dark horse Easier With Practice from exciting new writer/director Kyle Patrick Alvarez is such a gem that questions our emotions and makes you feel like you’ve been thrown an unexpected curve ball.
Inspired by a GQ magazine article, Easier With Practice starts out as a heartfelt road movie about a young writer on the road with his wayward brother to promote his unpublished novel, whilst having new experiences along the way. However, it subtly transforms into one of the most unique and gentle contemporary love stories to date that speaks to everyone, regardless of sexuality. For a first-time writer, Alvarez makes an instant connection with his audience with conventional and believable characters dealing with an unconventional and controversial subject matter.
Easier With Practice is all the more poignant because is tackles growing isolationism felt by many that’s part-fuelled by social media dominating everyday communication. What Alvarez’s film dares to say is affection and acceptance can come from the most unlikely sources, going so far as to imply that the controversial issue of phone sex in the story will break its social taboo, possibly, becoming what Internet dating has – the accepted norm. Its flawed lead character, Davy Mitchell, has the opportunity to connect with others in a traditional manner but chooses a virtual one. We empathise very early on with him, making the outcome and our ‘acceptance’ of his usual encounters all the more surprising, possibly because we feel pity for him.
Brian Geraghty from The Hurt Locker fame is quite extraordinary to watch, especially given the long, single-frame shots he must command, right from the start, and featuring in virtually every frame to ensure we fully empathise with his emotional development. His crushing vulnerability as Davy Mitchell seduces all, placing him firmly on the ‘one-to-watch’ list. Geraghty portrays Davy as an average Joe on a fraught journey of self-discovery, but leaves us to determine his possible fate. Alvarez uses his leading man to challenge our preconceptions of sexuality head-on in a courageous but totally non-judgemental fashion, delivering a wonderful twist at the end.
Easier With Practice is an indie tonic straight out of the blue, complete with a catchy indie rock soundtrack. It suggests we question contemporary relationships and the way we interact. This wonderful modern-day love story is totally sincere with an unforgettable performance from Geraghty that deserves wider recognition.
4/5 stars
By L G-K
