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Mar 31, 2014 By Austin Trunick Issue #49 - February/March 2014 - Portlandia

Listless high school music teacher Keith (Guy Pearce) longs for the bohemian youth he shared with his wife, Megan (Amy Ryan), in New York City. He had to give up his creative dreams and move upstate when their daughter (Mackenzie Davis) was born 17 years earlier. With her impending departure for college and a chair opening up at the symphony, Keith plots a return to the city; but when he falls for the musically-gifted exchange student (Felicity Jones) who’s moved into their home, his whole life starts coming apart.

Filmmaker Drake Doremus (Like Crazy) draws understated performances out of his small cast; the younger actors (Jones and Davis) are particularly impressive in the subtlety they bring to their roles. The film always follows the expected paths, but a soft, pretty score and noteworthy camera work—often close on the actors’ hands or faces—help keep this low-key film engrossing.

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Author rating: 6.5/10