Movie Review: Touchy Feely

If you were to watch "Touchy Feely" for any one reason, it should be for Josh Pais' performance as Paul, a dentist who's basically dead inside, or "wan," as his sister Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt) keeps describing him.

"Touchy Feely" is the latest film from Lynn Shelton, who is a secret weapon in the independent film world. Her loose and mainly unscripted films are refreshing in a world dominated by formula and safety. With "Touchy Feely," Shelton feels like she is trying to move towards something more structured all while holding on to the characteristics that have defined her work as a filmmaker. Yet, there is a difficulty in balancing the two, and it is not achieved here.

Movie Review: The Way Way Back

Every time I catch myself wishing that I could spend a whole summer at a beach house, I realize I might have to deal with a lot of annoying summer vacation movie cliches. That's what "The Way Way Back" feels like: a first draft of a decent summer coming of age comedy. This might be acceptable on some occasions, except that this comes from Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, who just won their deserved first Oscars for "The Descendants."

"The Way Way Back" opens with a promising moment of fine character establishment. Duncan (Liam James) sits slumped in the back seat as his mom's boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) asks him to rank himself from 1 to 10. Duncan says he'd be a 6 but Trent calls him a 3. It's an uncomfortable moment in a film that's filled with awkwardness. The moment works especially well because Carell, who plays against type, truly sells it by acting like he truly believes he's helping Duncan out. He's just one of the many oblivious parents that populate the film.