Juliet, Naked (2018)

I love Ethan Hawke —I'm pissed at him for what he said about comic book movies though— and because of it, I added Juliet, Naked on my watchlist without even knowing what it was about. And if it wasn't for Big Screen Small Words who picked it for a Thursday Movie Picks a couple of weeks ago, I probably would have never watch it.

Anyways, the film is set in England and follows Annie (Rose Byrne), a going on 40 woman who is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O'Dowd), a college teacher who is obsessed with American rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). One day, someone mails Duncan an album of acoustic demos of Tucker's hit album, he and Annie listen to it separately, they have an argument over its quality, Annie writes a negative review on Duncan's website and she gets an email reply from Crowe himself. He agrees with her, and they hit off real quick. 

Unlike what you may be thinking from that right now, it is not the typical and predictable boy meets girl story filled with clichés and unrealistic plot points romantic comedies love nowadays. Instead, it is a compelling, sweet and lighthearted story about love, relationships and parenting. It is about feeling and being stuck —a human condition I identify with—, and the attempts to deal with it. It is about second chances. It's about finding your own path in life. It is also about learning that there's a difference between the way a fan sees his/her idol and the harsh reality. Yes, it's a lot for an hour and a half long movie, but believe me when I say that the filmmakers managed to make it all fit in and nicely develop all of them. 

No matter how much I loved the story though, my favourite part of Juliet, Naked was the characters. They do seem a little ridiculous at times and the film pokes fun at them because of that —it works, by the way— but at the same time they are believable and feel like real human beings as they all are flawed individuals. They are interesting and compelling and ultimately we care about them.

Lionsgate & Roadside Attractions, Universal Pictures, Focus Features

Of course, it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't for the talented cast. Rose Byrne is very likeable as Annie, a woman who has spent fifteen years of her life with a man she is unhappy with. She is the kind of woman who's always worried, always afraid to let herself go and therefore always ends up doing the right thing, and Byrne portrays that very well. Ethan Hawke is terrific as Tucker, the faded rock star whose life turned out way different than he, and his fans, thought, and gives yet another of his charming performances as he captures the man's clumsy attempts at righting his wrongs and facing his responsibilities. At last, Chris O'Dowd gives a memorable perfomrnace as Duncan, a man who sees a lot in everyone but those very close to him. His character is kind of the villain of the story and yet he manages to make him sympathetic.

As for the comedy side, Juliet, Naked is not the type of film where you laugh like there's no tomorrow. It's the type of comedy with subtle and clever humour sneaked into the interesting, witty dialogue. As for the drama, it's not the type of drama that makes you cry or bores you, but the type of drama that is relatable. And the filmmakers did a wonderful job at balancing those two aspects.