Sensitivity Training

DIRECTOR: Melissa Finell
2016 | USA | 87m

Opposites attract, and you can’t get any more opposite than acerbic Serena Wolfe (Anna Lise Phillips) and perky Caroline (Jill E. Alexander, of HBO’s Silicon Valley).

Microbiologist Serena Wolfe treats germs better than people and she would rather be right than liked. After one outburst too many, her employer delivers an ultimatum: adjust the attitude or update your resume.

Enter life coach Caroline, so sweet she could cause diabetic shock. She’s ready for a challenge, but it will take a lot of instruction plus late-night glasses of wine to fine-tune Serena’s attitude.

Once an unlikely friendship sparks between this mismatched duo, Serena begins to question her feelings for Caroline, who has a wife and a child. Is it friendship or something more?

Much of the appeal of writer/director Elissa Finell’s debut feature is in the comedic chemistry between the two leads. Also charming are the witty one-liners and the deadpan comedic timing of Quinn Marcus, who plays Serena’s beleaguered assistant. Overall, Sensitivity Training is a touching and funny film boosted by its strong cast and script.