Written & directed by Lynn Shelton
Review by Abigail Lewis
It’s wonderful to see a mainstream film like Touchy Feely embrace an alternative healing modality, and an important step to its broader acceptance as a valid health care option. Happily, Reiki practitioner Bronwyn, in an aptly understated performance by Allison Janney, is presented as a grounded (if overreaching) healer. However, nearly everyone else in this sweet but slow film is painfully dysfunctional, with few clues as to why they are so troubled. Free spirit Abby (Rosemarie Dewitt) is a successful massage therapist who suddenly veers off the rails for no apparent reason, then gets back on track via a curious combo of drugs and a nostalgic interlude. Her up-tight dentist brother Paul (Josh Pais) is almost comically out of touch with himself and everyone else, but one patient’s near-miraculous healing sends him lurching in search of the Reiki Abby touts. Paul’s daughter Jenny (Ellen Page) is the most fleshed-out character in this psychologically messy family, but although present in many scenes, the luminous Page has little opportunity to express her abundant talent. Her scene with Abby’s boyfriend, admirably played by Scoot McNairy, is a focused connection in an otherwise disjointed ramble. There’s plenty of talent here, but between holes in the script and confusing editing, the actors don’t really get a chance to shine. (Magnolia Pictures)
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