One of the reasons that this comic drama falls quite short of being really funny is that it is about two extreme stereotypes who are the focus of a very thin plot that holds no surprises or twists once the main thrust of the story has been revealed at the very beginning. It’s essentially the tale of a case of anger management involving Serena (Anna Lise Phillips) an abrasive and unlikeable self-centered research scientist, who after a particular bruising encounter with a colleague, is given an ultimatum. Take sensitivity training or lose your job.
The person allocated the task of taking Serena in hand is Caroline (Jill E. Alexander) a highly qualified Therapist who is this very bubbly woman who can never stop spreading love and joy with everyone and everybody. She is a happily married lesbian with a family of their own, and has the sort of charm that is so welcoming at first, but soon wears very thin very quickly on most people.
Naturally Caroline’s magic works, turning an initially a fiercely resistant Serena from a grudge into this likable boss that people are now falling over themselves to work for. It all comes at a cost though, and Caroline’s own character starts changing too. For the better that is.
The actors work hard, particularly the two leads, but it is difficult to put in convincing performances when the characters they play are actually rather shallow.
Sensitivity Training written and directed byMelissa Finell, would probably have worked so much better if it had been made as a ‘short’, and it would definitely been much funnier then.
