Rent Juliet, Naked (2018)

Juliet, Naked review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

The quirky love triangle of Juliet, Naked by its very construction would seem like a misfire of a romantic comedy, especially for one based on a novel. To my mild surprise, however, this tale of romantic misunderstandings and lost nostalgia sort of won me over enough to be slightly touched by its romantic wonderment. Maybe it’s because the cast is relatively subdued or that there’s a certain softness to its love triangles, but it managed to hit just a few of the right notes.

Perhaps it’s because there’s a more believable flow to the drifting and magnetism. Consider how Chris O'Dowd, who can reach high levels of screeching in his Scottish accent for comedic roles, feels somewhat relatable as an overly obsessed music fan. He plays Duncan, a man so culturally obsessed with music that he has labeled himself the #1 fan of the old rock star Tucker (Ethan Hawke). He knows all sorts of useless facts about Tucker, such as him using sounds from an answering machine for the chorus. But he’s not meant to be cartoonish and isn’t devoid of some sympathies. His girlfriend Annie (Rose Byrne) at one point will receive some rare tracks of Tucker and listens to them while Duncan is at work. Duncan is furious, overreacting that it’s him who should have listened to it first. He comes around quickly, however, and admits he overreacted. It’s going to take a little more time for him to process, however, when Annie admits she didn’t like the music. Clearly, this relationship isn’t going to work.

While Annie has no interest in Tucker’s music, she does take an interest in the man himself. After writing a scathing online review, Tucker writes back to her in an email stating that he admires her honesty. Over the course of the next few days, they exchange email conversations and slowly grow a connection, to the point where Tucker can open up about his past wives and children that he has tried to place behind him. They soon meet and you can imagine the kind of reaction Duncan would have to this latest development, even if he has already moved onto a more culturally stimulating partner in his teacher co-worker Gina (Denise Gough).

The film proceeds on a few of the expected stops but with reactions played more up for emotional reactions than over-the-top theatrics. This is best showcased in the scene where Duncan and Tucker finally meet each other. Duncan tries to impress Tucker with knowledge of his music, but a disinterested Tucker bitterly states that his biggest fan doesn’t know anything about him. This would be the moment in any other comedy where Duncan would explode about how horrible it is to meet his heroes. And, yet, Duncan fires back with a knowing response about how he still appreciates Tucker’s music even if he doesn’t appreciate his own talent. The words are a bit stumbling, but the message resonates well.

More intriguing and moving is the relationship between Tucker and Annie who clearly have a connection but with a certain fear of going forward. This is mostly due to Tucker’s son who tags along when Annie comes to visit. Tucker turns out to be a pretty good dad, but parenthood is a somewhat terrifying aspect for Annie who initially wanted it with Duncan but isn’t so sure about it with Tucker. This is more of an internal struggle than anything all that outward that Tucker’s child possesses.

Juliet, Naked isn’t quite perfect with scenes coming off a little more mild than I’d prefer. But what’s perhaps the most refreshing aspect is that the adult characters feel like intelligent and thoughtful people, despite some being obsessed fans or having rocky relationships. There’s a certain warmth that just barely comes through and makes this film just strong enough to be lovable in its own subdued ways.