Good Dick review

Apologies to the wilfully naïve, but Good Dick is not a film about a morally upstanding man named Richard. It's about a reclusive female porn-addict, played by the terrifically talented Marianna Palka, who also writes and directs.

Palka's character is like a younger, LA-based Miss Haversham, living in an expensive apartment surrounded by dirt, empty burger wrappers and the past. It's her way of coping with a mysterious sexual dysfunction that throws heftier obstacles than usual in the path of true love.

None of which is enough to put off her video store clerk suitor, played by Jason Ritter, Palka's co-producer and real-life boyfriend. The Kevin Smith-esque dude banter might place Dick in a US indie tradition, but there's also an honesty to the script and performances that's genuinely original and touching.