Four out of Five stars
Running time: 103 mins

Superbly directed, brillliantly written and featuring a terrific central performance from Brian Geraghty, this is a thoroughly engaging drama that packs a powerful emotional punch.

What's it all about?
Written and directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Easier With Practice is based on an autobiographical magazine article and stars Brian Geraghty as Davy Mitchell, a writer on a promotional tour, with his asshole brother Sean (Kel O'Neill) along for the ride. One night, Davy receives a seemingly random call in his motel room, from a total stranger calling herself Nicole (voiced by Kathryn Aselton), who talks him into an intense bout of phone sex that sparks off a bizarre, erotic but ultimately meaningful, albeit entirely phone-based relationship.

As the tour continues, Davy and Nicole talk to each other every night, sharing their innermost feelings while also continuing their phone sex encounters; both admit that in some way they prefer phone relationships to real relationships, but when Samantha refuses to give Davy her number, they fight and she stops calling. When his book tour ends, Davy is drawn into a possible relationship with attractive ex-colleague Samantha (Marguerite Moreau), but he finds that he can't get Nicole out of his head and determines to persuade her to meet him if she ever calls again.

The Good
This is a well written, beautifully directed film with a wonderful central performance from Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker). There's also strong support from Moreau and from O'Neill (who's incredibly obnoxious and kind of weird), as well as Jeannette Brox as Sean's what-does-she-see-in-him girlfriend Sarah.

Alvarez orchestrates some terrific scenes, from the quite hard-to-watch opening phone sex conversation, to a great montage sequence that indicates time passing on the book tour and an excruciating and extremely tense game of two truths and a lie. There are also some great sight gags, such as Davy's car unfortunately breaking down next to a massive piece of obscene graffiti that makes it look as if he's soliciting.

The Great
In addition, the film is packed with great dialogue, but what really stands out is Geraghty's deeply moving performance and an extraordinarily generous, completely unexpected ending that packs a powerful emotional punch.

Worth seeing?
Easier With Practice is a thoroughly engaging, brilliantly written and superbly acted drama that marks Kyle Patrick Alvarez out as a director to watch. Highly recommended.