So here's the pitch: a massage therapist develops an aversion to bodily contact. Hilarity right? You might think that, as it's from Lynn Shelton, the writer/director behind "Humpday" and "Your Sister's Sister." But as the helmer tells EW, her latest "Touchy Feely" marks a bit of a change. ”It doesn’t have this rollicky, bantering feel that my last couple films have had,” she says. “It definitely has laughs, but it really is a drama. It’s really about attempting to live in your own skin, both literally and metaphorically.”
The movie has lined up an absolutely great cast with Rosemarie DeWitt, Ellen Page, Allison Janney, Scoot McNairy and Josh Pais all taking roles, and Shelton expands on the themes of the film. “One thing that this film delves into that I’ve never really dealt with before is how your work relates to your sense of worth and your identity,” she reveals. “Abby [DeWitt] is somebody who’s really confident she’s good at what she does. Her identity is really tied to being a healer, somebody who really connects to other people physically. When that’s taken away from her, she’s completely undone. She doesn’t have anything to anchor her.”
It's certainly an intriuging setup, and the cast rounded up to tell it is nothing to sneeze at. And while the premise may scream "quirk!" it's clear Shelton is using it as a launchpad to try and address some deeper topics. We'll see how it shakes out at the Sundance Film Festival next month. [FilmTV]