Juliet, Nua e Crua

'Juliet, Naked (2018)' has some interesting themes - especially surrounding the different, but equally valid, meanings of art to the consumer and to the artist themselves, and the way that one's appreciation for something that someone else could consider 'trivial' can become an integral part of their identity and that it is in no way less legitimate because of its apparent 'triviality'. The flick also has some very well rounded characters, who are all performed excellently; Ethan Hawke's weathered singer-songwriter, in particular, always carries the weight of a tangible past with him. The film is an entertaining time throughout, too, and is a pleasant experience on the whole, one that's as predictable as it is confidently crafted. There doesn't seem to be that extra 'thing', whatever that may be, that could've set this apart from the crowd, though. Ultimately, this makes the piece a perfectly enjoyable entry into the better half of its genre, one that doesn't necessarily stand out from the others in that same category but isn't actually worse for it, just slightly less memorable. 6/10

My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library. We both found it a very worthwhile movie, a bit underrated in my opinion.

It is set and filmed mostly in England, including London, with brief scenes in New York. Chris O'Dowd is Duncan Thomson who in almost all of his spare time obsesses over an American singer/songwriter who was popular 25 years earlier and has essentially disappeared. He and others frequently hold podcast discussions and speculate on where the musician might be.

He has a live-in girlfriend, Rose Byrne as Annie Platt. She feels Duncan neglects their relationship, rightly so, and on a whim posts a contrarian, somewhat negative comment to Duncan's website. Then she gets a surprise response, supportive of her views, from none other than the long-missing musician.

Ethan Hawke is that musician, Tucker Crowe. Basically he thinks all the adoration he receives is silly, himself having low regard for his early work. As fate would have it his British daughter is having a baby requiring him to travel to London where he and Annie will have a chance to meet.

The story gets a bit complicated but in a good, interesting way. Annie is approaching 40, she has no children, she is afraid life is passing her by. Tucker feels he has frittered his life away and approaching 50 wants to have another chance. Good story, authentic acting, a meaningful movie with lots of funny moments sprinkled in.

Juliet, Naked is a rom-com with its head on straight. Neither over the top nor dark, it strikes the right tone of realism and romance despite the formulaic approach of boy meets girl, etc. Rose Byrne's protagonist, Annie, a smart and strong-willed anthropologist and curator at a small museum in a Brit seaside town, has a balanced profile of wit and realism. She's a lady not easily seduced by ancient rocker, Tucker (Ethan Hawke), who comes into her life via the Internet and her boyfriend, Duncan (Chris O'Dowd).

Typically for a romantic comedy, Annie is bored with professor/lover Duncan and finds his scholarly preoccupation with Tucker to be tedious. Until she meets Tucker, and the real romance of this comedy begins.

Director Jesse Peretz and his writers skillfully adapted the Nick Hornby novel to keep the tone light despite a heart attack and multiple progeny by different women having Tucker scramble for sanity when they all meet in the hospital. That is one of the film's fine moments of a lunatic family reunion. Contrasting the de-riled family, Annie turns out to be an anchor for Tucker, with whom she had already formed an Internet connection.

The nice thing about this budding romance is it's slow, not sex filled, and rooted in a skepticism on both sides that rings true in the face of a rom-com formula frequently demanding instant passion and commitment. Even Duncan, his scholarly interest in Tucker bordering on obsessive, comes off as in love with Annie, but not silly, just self-absorbed and oblivious to her needs.

Juliet, Naked is a fresh take on the rom-com, easy going and poignant, but infused with enough love to make the romance authentic and the comedy light enough to allow for genuine affection in the face of daunting family and professional intrusions.

Rose Byrne and Chris O'Dowd are a long-time couple living in a seaside town in this winning film about music fandom and romantic rejuvenation. She's a museum curator in her local area. He's a classics professor who, in his spare time, devotes his life to discussing and extolling the music of a legendary rock star who disappeared from performing and from making albums two decades ago. O'Dowd's character has even created an online forum for the rock star's most rabid fans. The couple's relationship begins to take a turn when the rock star (Ethan Hawke, ever reliable in his charisma) attempts a career resurgence.

A film about a faded rock star coming back out of the shadows is not a new theme, but here it feels so crisp. Hawke's performance is perfect, as are Byrne and O'Dowd, a seeming odd couple whose devotion is showing signs of strain. O'Dowd's character is quite funny when he keeps finding out new information about his idol.

Although there are romantic comedies on the subject of music and midlife perspective, this one proves extra eloquent and engaging. It's not just a film about finding love. It's also about discovering the difference between a fan's rose-colored glasses and reality; a dinner scene captures this theme brilliantly. Even if the rest of the film hadn't been any good (which is not the case), I still would have recommended this film on the strength of that scene alone.

This film has gotten only lukewarm reviews so far, which is odd. I am hopeful that audiences and other critics will give it the recognition it deserves. Gladly recommended.

This film is so simple and intelligent. Ethan Hawke is brilliant both as an actor and a real musician. He performs both roles beautifully. Rose Byrne is never less than perfect. This film has so much heart in a way that is understated and not pretentious in any way. Beautiful scenery, plus a great soundtrack that includes Ethan Hawke doing a fantastic cover of The Kinks Waterloo Sunset along with some great tunes for the film. Interesting characters and story. The type of film I will watch more than once. I really enjoyed it.