Pit Stop

Writer-director Yen Tan's low-simmering tale set in a small Texas town follows characters who are wary of altering a numbing status quo in order to open up to new—and uncertain—experiences in love. Gabe (Bill Heck), a gay carpenter in his mid-30s, has rebounded from an affair with a married man and is now living in an awkward domestic situation with his ex-wife, Shannon (Amy Seimetz), and their young daughter. Across town, Ernesto (Marcus DeAnda) is feeling stifled by the constant presence of his younger, immature ex-lover, Luis (Alfredo Maduro), and he worries over the well-being of another former companion. Everyone needs to move on, but no one quite knows how to do that exactly. The script is full of small but often comically telling scenes of quiet desperation, such as the sight of Ernesto fueling his pickup while reading an article about ending relationships, or a sexually starved Shannon trying hard to convince a timid date to grope her. A film about raw, lovable humanity that boasts excellent performances all around, this is highly recommended. (T. Keogh)