(( "Davy" is a character who can be considered as one with deeply intertwined emotional / behavioral problems ))Whether this movie's background is just story writer, Rothbart's own....or part his life / part fiction....or just a tale made up for a fictional Davy, is not the important thing here. Instead, what we need to focus on is that the lead we are given in this film unquestionably comes across as having had much more than usual problems in relating to females. Specifically, females with whom he has attempted to become more than just friends. With all other people in his life, Davy seems a likable sort....that is when, or if, they even realize he is around (he often seems "overlooked").I truly believe that what this film shows us, intentionally or not, is that Davy is way more unhappy than we see on the surface.....and will likely always be unhappy. Why? Because he is trying to live up to the "norms" which society is forever instilling in us. But, what Davy (and all of us) need to discover is that when we have met a person who has grown all-important to us, a someone we have come to love and want to spend our future with.....THEN, such things as our color...our sex...and other factors should not be deciding ones. If we BOTH want this THING.....then that is the way it should be. Take a chance.At film's end Davy chose, either from fear or lack of desire, NOT to take that step. Or did he....after that fading scene? Was there....should there have been....a later chapter for Davy?PS--Oh, Davy, take a chance.....See if it will make you happy!

Walking out of this movie, I felt much the same as Davy, the protagonist, did at the end of the film. Just like him, I felt betrayed by something fraudulent, only in my case it was the movie itself I felt betrayed by. I actually thought this compelling drama was going somewhere. The director and his cinematographer have a surprisingly strong visual sense for a low-budget independent movie, especially in the opening scenes; and while some of the acting and dialogue felt a bit strained and "film schooly" now and then, there were some great moments and, for the most part, it was smart and sophisticated, with a genuinely winsome and sympathetic protagonist. I was wholly engaged and very interested in seeing where it would all lead.The answer, unfortunately, was: nowhere. In the end, the film turned out to be merely another indie exercise in "wouldn't this story make a great movie?" screen writing. Except there is no story there, nor is there really an ending. It's all build-up with no payoff, and it ends up feeling like little more than an anecdote (and in fact the screenplay was apparently based upon a true story, so it really was just an anecdote). And the big reveal at the end was just a big cheat, completely and unapologetically phony and disingenuous. I felt snookered by this movie.Still, the director definitely has talent, and so I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do with (hopefully) a better script.

Aside from some nice moments from its young ensemble, this movie is the film equivalent of a sloth. Slow, odd-looking, it never seems to find its pacing, and by the end I was left wondering if the theater offered refunds to dissatisfied film-goers. Perhaps worst of all was the film's predictability: The kitschy neo-folk indie soundtrack, the droll low-budget aesthetic of New Mexico, the denouement and "twist" reveal, everything was extremely predictable or familiar. No originality here, whatsoever.Everything about this film felt laborious. Two hours of shifting in my chair left me exasperated and exhausted. That this film merits award nominations only shows how thin the field is these days. Boo.

Davy Mitchell (Brian Geraghty) is on the road doing readings at small book stores (one of them is named just "Books") of his short stories collection. Tagging along is his younger brother, Sean (Kel O'Neill), who has no problem picking up on Davy's leftovers whether it be pie or the girls he doesn't close the deal with, despite the girlfriend he has back home. One night in a motel room alone though, the phone rings and a sexy voice on the other end coaxes Davy (none too hard) into phone sex, presented in one extended shot. With no means to call back this Nicole on her private number, Davy is forced into a waiting game. Surprisingly though she calls back. And often. Intimate nights become intimacy as the pair open up to one another; Nicole (phone-cheating on her own boyfriend) is happy just to have a guy who listens. As Davy gets closer to home though the more he wants the other senses to manifest in their relationship, starting with just seeing each other. But Nicole prefers things the way they are. What's a guy to do? Brian Geraghty is a face you may remember seeing in films like Jarhead, We Are Marshall and hopefully will in Kathryn Bigelow's excellent Iraq war thriller, The Hurt Locker. As Davy though, Geraghty really breaks through with a quietly, heartbreaking portrayal of a shy guy unsure of the direction his life is supposed to be taking. With little success as a writer and only a few ladies under his stud belt, it's easy to accept Nicole as that once-in-a-lifetime gift so we feel his anguish in not being able to at least get that hug we know he needs.'Easier With Practice' is a wonderful little film written and directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, based on a GQ article by Davy Rothbart. Brian Geraghty plays Davy Mitchell, a writer who works as a temp to pay the bills. Davy and his brother Sean (Kel O'Neill) set out on a book tour across the country together in Sean's old POS station wagon to promote Davy's book. During their journey from town to town, Sean spends his free time in the bars and picking up chicks while Davy, exhausted from the weeks of traveling and living off of PB&J sandwiches, spends most of his free time in hotel rooms, bored and lonely.Kyle Patrick Alvarez is said to be quite the indie music enthusiast and it shows, having meticulously selected and placed an absolutely perfect soundtrack into his film. The songs were carefully chosen and used not just to fill silent space, but to accentuate a scene or emotion and further move the story along in a constructive fashion. The soundtrack to 'Easier With Practice' reads like a pop fans worst nightmare, featuring indie musicians and bands unknown to many like Emily Easterly, Source Victoria, Deer Tick and Grizzly Bear, not to mention the other 10 or more bands with licenced music featured on the theatrical playlist.This is a film definitely worth seeing. It's smart, just funny enough as not to get in the way of the great story and the twist at the end packs a punch.