Movie Review: "Touchy Feely" is Fine Being at Arm's Distance

Left to right: Josh Pais and Allison Janney 

When people think of indie dramas, they usually think of the word "quirky." There's plenty of astigmatism that comes with the territory, as most films to the naked eye meet these grounds. Their characters may be light on their toes, but it is a form of realism that depending on your investment in this genre, that can be seen as an unending trope. It distracts from stories and maybe compensates in other areas because of that. Still, this stereotype rarely applies to a few beyond titles like the Way Way Back, which takes a familiar concept and throws it into a different corner. Does Touchy Feely manage to be more than a quirky little indie drama?

The premise of director Lynn Shelton's tale is an interesting one. Following a family, it focuses on Paul (Josh Pais) and his family as they make changes in their lives. Paul is a dentist who works with his daughter Jenny (Ellen Page), who feels repressed by living below her potential because of Paul. Then there's Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt) who is a massage therapist who loses her touch. As the story progresses, it blends the threads interestingly in ways that dentistry and massage techniques never have been mixed before.

But is it interesting? The film was also written by Shelton, and it almost helps to make the entire tone feel highly understated. The goals of the film aren't lofty and the characters aren't interestingly created. They wade through the film in a sense of melancholy until the end when a happy ending unites everyone together. It is a familiar story with very little in the way of moments that come off as striking. At the same time, there's very little fault in the performances, which all exist and serve the story nicely.

Josh Pais does a solid job of leading the cast through understated moments that slowly unravel the conflicts of the film. Through an almost meditative tone, Pais' performance may be very subtle and introverted, but gives the film a safe feeling. In a sense, the story feels like a lesser episode of Enlightened with the music by Vinny Smith giving everything an aura of calmness. It helps that the film's subject matter isn't too removed from this atmosphere and helps to emphasize the character's rise to clarity in the third act.

Left to right: Ellen Page and Scoot McNairy

While the film tends to spend most of its time as a drama, it does feature some moments of humor, notably from Allison Janney, who plays Paul's love interest and reiki expert Bronwyn. Since the film relies heavily on massage techniques and close-ups of naked backs, it is hard to make these moments have a sense of purpose without a sense of cheesiness. Janney tows the line nicely as she subtly drops awkward humor in between sessions and slowly becoming intimate with Paul through massages. It helps to round out the slow reveal of their relationship and makes it one of the more triumphant aspects. 

Page is also effective as the daughter who wants a better life. She strives to go to college and have her own career. Her struggle may be very surface level and result in the payoff not feeling satisfying, but of the direct cast, she gets moments to try something different. She is not obsessed with fitting in and it helps to add a less meditative subplot to the story as she befriends someone (Scoot McNairy), even though that relationship has its own hangups. She is in many ways an anchor that wants to set sail, but helps the story to advance. Also, McNairy as a bike store worker is a nice touch, even if he is enigmatic. He manages to make their relationship work by the chemistry they share and its ability to feel like the most sincere element of the story.

The problem with the film is that it may be too understated. Despite some solid performances, it feels very light and free in that conflict feels like an afterthought. People work out their problems and move on with their lives. It doesn't help that some of the narrative problems lie with how surface-based the story feels at times. These are likable characters, but with exception to Paul, everyone feels like a mystery. The payoff works because the actors provide some charisma, but there is a story somewhere in here that could have been more upfront.

It is tough to really find much fault with Touchy Feely. It hits all of the beats and doesn't leave the audience bored. The actors do their best with the material given. However, it is charming and light enough to not feel like a waste. The concept of dentistry and massage therapy are ingenious concepts to make the story have an edge over other films. There is only some wish that it settled for more memorable moments.