Director Rose Troche, this year's recipient of the Frame­ line Award, possesses a unique directorial talent that delivers honest films without being intrusive. The Safety of Objects, based on the stories of A.M. Homes, offers a particularly effective fly-on-the-wall perspective on the lives of four neighboring families who share overlap­ ping maladies.

When a traumatized but vigilant mother and a grief­-stricken sister look after a bed-ridden, comatose young man, the women's volatile relationship quickly ignites a fuse that takes us out of the sickroom and into the neigh­bors' lives, exposing unforeseen relationships. Shame, secrecy, and anger are the potentially combustible ele­ments around which everyone seems to dance. Like a jet building up massive force for take-off, The Safety of Objects steadily builds tension as it lays bares each family's secrets, displaying the sure-footed subtlety that has become the hallmark of Troche's work.

While it's impossible to overlook the Hollywood stars and stalwarts — Glenn Close, Dermot Mulroney, Patricia Clarkson, Moira Kelly, Mary Kay Place, and a very young Kristen Stewart — viewers will also enjoy spotting prior Festival favorites in the engaging cast, including talented Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) as the doll's voice, and hunky Timothy Olyphant as delusional Randy.