I’m a big admirer of the actor Ethan Hawke. Hawke is perhaps
best known for his films with the director Richard Linklater, particularly what
has become known as the “Before Trilogy”: Before
Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset
(2004) and Before Midnight (2013);
and Linklater’s sweet and audacious movie Boyhood
(2015). All four of these are among my favorite movies ever. But Hawke has
appeared in nearly seventy feature films, starring in many of them, including Dead Poets Society (1989) when he was
just nineteen, the Disney picture White
Fang (1991), Reality Bites
(1994), Gattaca (1997), Training Day (2001), Maggie’s Plan
(2015), and The Magnificent Seven
remake in 2016. Throughout his career and especially in recent years, Hawke has also
chosen to work in smaller projects, such as playing 1950s jazz trumpeter Chet
Baker in 2015’s Born To Be Blue; the
rustic Everett Lewis, husband of Canadian painter Maud Lewis in Maudie from 2016; and the spiritually
troubled priest in Paul Schrader’s latest film First Reformed, released this past summer. Hawke’s style is uniquely naturalistic. He
has this exceptional ability to imbue his characters with qualities of
openness, intelligence and unfeigned sensitivity which encourages viewers to
empathize with them.
Last Spring, about the time I saw First Reformed, I heard that Hawke’s next picture Juliet,
Naked was being released at the end of the Summer. Unfortunately, I was traveling when it came
out, and so was thrilled to learn a couple weeks ago that the movie has been
released on disc and is now available on numerous streaming services. Ipso prompto,
I arranged to watch it with some friends. So, here is my report.
Juliet, Naked is a warm, funny, romantic and ultimately hopeful
little film featuring terrific, touchingly convincing performances from its
three principal stars: Hawke, Rose Byrne, and Chris O’Dowd. If you’re looking
for a well-made, well-acted and charming motion picture, this is it.
(The title is explained below, but to avoid disappointment
for some readers or disapproval by others, I should note there is no nudity in this
movie.)
The plot of Juliet, Naked, while nothing new, is
interesting and engaging - an adaptation of a Nick Hornby novel of the same name, with a very Hornby-esque sensibility - featuring lots of music and a middle-aged character, Duncan Thomson (O’Dowd), childishly infatuated with a rock idol of his youth, a singer-songwriter called Tucker Crowe, who mysteriously dropped out and disappeared a quarter century ago. Among fanatics like Duncan, tantalizing myths
and abounding rumors about Crowe’s subsequent fate are endlessly debated in
online communities.
Duncan’s obsession with Tucker Crowe has destroyed his relationship
with the one woman who loved and put up with him. That woman is Annie Platt (Byrne), the central
character of the picture. After 15 years with Duncan, Annie has finally
realized that she is playing third fiddle (at best) in Duncan’s affections,
after Tucker and his narcissistic self. This
realization opens the door to more self-revelation. Here she is in her late
thirties, feeling trapped not only in a dead-end relationship, but in her life
more generally, one with little to no excitement, satisfaction, or
meaning.
But then, oddly enough, her boyfriend’s mania for Tucker Crowe
opens the door to new possibilities. Someone has sent Duncan a demo of a “new” Crowe album – previously unheard outtakes from Crowe’s greatest release which was called “Juliet”. The new album consists of simple, acoustic versions of all the songs and so is dubbed
“Juliet, Naked”. Duncan goes nuts over this and writes a
glowing review on his blog for all the other Crowe obsessives. Annie takes a
listen, and (anonymously) writes a comment disagreeing with Duncan, opining
that Juliet, Naked is nothing to rave
about, consisting of inferior versions of material that the artist chose not to
release in favor of the much improved, far-more-polished versions on the original
Juliet album.
A short while later, to her surprise, Annie gets a response
from Tucker Crowe himself; and an epistolary relationship is born. And here is
where we get to meet the actual Tucker Crowe – played by Ethan Hawke, of course.
Crowe, quietly living in relative seclusion hiding in plain sight, has had his
share of problems and is hardly a role model – his fecklessness has led to all
sorts of troubling family problems - yet (like Hawke) he is beguiling, earnest,
and wonderful to watch. And so is Rose
Byrne as Annie, who finds herself blossoming as their unlikely relationship develops
over time into a surprisingly intimate friendship. You can imagine how Duncan will
respond to these developments, and you will be partially correct.
Along the way, we get to meet several other interesting characters
whose lives are intertwined with the three protagonists’. All of the supporting actors give fine
performances as well. To avoid further spoilers, I won’t describe their parts
in the unravelling story; except to praise young up-and-comer Azhy Robertson’s
performance as Tucker’s bright, adorable seven year old son, Jackson.
Juliet, Naked is hard to pin down. It is part rom-com and part
emo-melodrama; yet “dramedy” is too strong a label. The humor includes some perceptive jabs at
our pop-obsessions, but the film can’t be called a satire. There is some darkness,
but also some hope. Thematically, it takes on heavy topics like obsession, the
corrosive qualities of fame and popularity, and how age and experience may
bring a bit of wisdom to the benighted. Still, the tone of the movie is light
and endearing. The movie is quite likeable due in large degree to the warmth
and empathy with which it illuminates its characters. That and the tender understanding
with which the actors, particularly Byrne and Hawke, approach their roles.
I’ve already gushed about Hawke, and he is earnest, personable,
and quite credible as Tucker Crowe here. Rose Byrne deserves some effusive praise as well. She too has been in loads of pictures including I Capture the Castle (2003), Sunshine (2007), Bridesmaids (2011), The
Meddler (2015) and the three Insidious
movies (2010, 2013, 2018). But she’s mostly been cast in supporting roles and
has never yet had the lead in a movie capable of making her a big star. Hopefully
that will soon change. Juliet, Naked shows off her talent
in a most appealing way, and although it’s small movie, her performance as
Annie is a key reason it is worth seeing. Chris O’Dowd too is excellent here –
although, or perhaps because, his Duncan is the least attractive personality of
the three. O’Dowd has had success in several TV programs, such as Britain’s The IT Crowd (2006-13) and Get Shorty (2017-18); as well as mostly
supporting roles in several feature films, like Pirate Radio (2009), Bridesmaids (2011) and Molly’s Game (2017). He plays
Duncan with a fervor that fits the character’s self-absorption and fanaticism. Yes,
he is insufferable, but he‘s real – could be someone we know. O’Dowd has spoken
of his character this way: “Duncan is obsessed with Tucker, but more than that
he is obsessed with the person he no longer is, from the time that he loved him
first. When you love something when you are 16, that never leaves you, it
becomes a touchstone for the rest of your life. Duncan … has never really moved
on.” O’Dowd brings this humanity to the
role, so we end up believing him and even caring for poor Duncan just a little.
Long story short, I quite enjoyed Juliet, Naked, as did my
companions at the time. You might too.
97 minutes Rated R (for
language)
Grade: B+
Available on most
streaming services, including Amazon, Vudu, and iTunes; and on DVD from
Netflix.
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