Veteran actress Kathleeen Chalfant (“The Affair”) stars in the new movie “Familiar Touch,” which was written and directed by Sarah Friedland in her directorial debut.
In “Familiar Touch,” Kathleen Chalfant portrays octogenarian Ruth, a retired cook, who prepares breakfast in her sunny and cozy kitchen — a dish she seems to have made many times before, although small and puzzling errors now punctuate her comfortable routine.
When her son (H. Jon Benjamin) arrives to dine with her, she mistakes him for a suitor. Their “date” takes them to an assisted living facility, which Ruth does not remember that she had previously selected for herself.
Among her fellow memory care residents, Ruth feels lost and adrift, certain she has found herself somewhere she does not belong.
As she slowly begins to accept the warmth and support of care workers Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle) and Brian (Andy McQueen), she finds new ways to ground herself in her body, even as her mind embarks on a journey all its own.
“Familiar Touch” won big at the Venice Film Festival, where Chalfant earned the “Best Actress” Award, and Friedland was honored for both “Best Debut Film” and “Best Director” respectively, and rightfully so.
This movie will hit viewers like a shot in the heart. Kathleen Chalfant is Oscar-worthy in a magisterial acting performance that runs the gamut… it is subtle, controlled, intricate and powerful. There are moments that will make people laugh, smile, and cry (both for sadness and joy).
Chalfant layers her emotions well as Ruth, and she sustains the audience’s attention for its entire duration. Due to the sheer power of her acting, Chalfant should be nominated for “Best Actress” at the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony.
Chalfant will leave audiences in goosebumps and send chills down their spines because she captures the psyche and essence of a woman whose memories are fading away.
People will forget they are watching a feature film, and they will feel they are experiencing real life alongside Ruth due to its deeply personal narrative.
Her transcendent acting in “Familiar Touch” is equal in excellence to that of Julie Christie in “Away From Her” meets the late Emmanuelle Riva in “Amour” with elements of the short film “Olive” starring Lesley Ann Warren.
The script is rich in character development as it sheds light on a woman who is transitioning to life in an assisted living home as she contends with her ambivalent relationship with herself and her caregivers all while her memory and identity are shifting.
Chalfant has been on a roll this year. Most recently, Chalfant starred in the Off-Broadway show “Pen Pals” opposite Ellen McLaughlin for a two-week run, where they played Mags and Bernie respectively (for the first week), and in the second week, they swapped parts.
The Verdict
Overall, “Familiar Touch” is a captivating new film by Sarah Friedland featuring a sublime Kathleen Chalfant who is able to pull off the crowing performance of her respected acting career. It deserves to be recognized at the forthcoming Academy Awards.
Friedland is able to paint a moving, intimate portrait in a coming of age drama that explores aging, healing, memories, mortality, and family dynamics with much delicacy and sentimentalism. Friedlan is able to balance the heavy moments with witty, clever and lighthearted ones.
There is a rawness, honesty and authenticity to this feature film like no other. It is worth more than just a passing glance, and it garners five out of five stars.
