EASIER WITH PRACTICE
/
2009
DIRECTOR: KYLE PATRICK ALVAREZ
CINEMATOGRAPHER: DAVID RUSH MORRISON
WRITER: DAVY ROTHBART (story)/KYLE PATRICK ALVAREZ (screenplay)
BUDGET: $1,000,000
GROSS: $1,558
Davey is an unpublished writer driving around New Mexico with his brother giving readings of his short stories and trying to sell a few copies of his book. One night in his motel he gets a call from Nicole. He doesn't know who she is, but they end up having phone sex - and so begins Easier With Practice.
As Davey and Nicole's phone relationship develops, he becomes more and more attached to her - even forgoing possible “real girls” and feeling like he’s cheating on her if he doesn’t.
Good performances, a good script and a nice soundtrack make this indie drama worth searching out. One of the things I appreciated about the film was that I wasn't sure where it was going. There were a couple times where I thought I saw where things were heading and each time it didn't go there - or if it did - it went there and continued on past it. The biggest example of this, being the ending.
The obvious question that the film brings up is "who is Nicole?" Is she who she says she is? is she - as Davey's brother jokes - an unattractive middle aged women with a bunch of kids who sells products over the phone? etc... (It’s impossible to watch the film and not form your own ideas).
For me this is the hardest part of the movie to get right. How do you end the film in an interesting and intelligent way, even though it might be exactly what some of the audience expects. Well, they did it just right. The conversation that ends the movie is a really well written moment that feels original, within a possibly obvious format - while also staying true to both characters involved.