Aug 18, 2019
Hi everyone!
Welcome back to another week of reviews here at One Movie Punch. Last week was crazy, with the debut of One Movie Spawn with her review of “In This Corner Of The World” (Episode #562), and this week we’re not slowing down for anything. We’ll have a movie finally available in our area for tomorrow’s review, and I’m really looking forward to it! We’ll also have the return of the How I Met Your Friends podcast on Takeover Tuesday, the return of Keith Lyons, another Fantastic Fest feature from Andrew Campbell, another romantic comedy from One Movie Spouse, and more!
Last week we posted our second ever Patreon exclusive episode, which was part two of our full interview with David McCracken for “Bullitt County” (Episode #549). This week we’ll bring you our full interview with Laurence Fuller about “Echoes of You” (Episode #556) and many other projects.
Here just a taste of what you’ll be missing:
LAURENCE: “Yeah, I’m finishing up the fourth draft of a screenplay I’m working on called ‘Modern Art’, which is about my late father, the art critic Peter Fuller, which has been a fantastic journey for me to go on, to discover my father through making a film about him, and, kind of ties in with ‘Echoes of You’ in that way that I’m able to be moved by the mark that he left behind in his writing. That has been quite a fulfilling journey.”
If you want to hear the whole interview, just head over to patreon.com/onemoviepunch and sign up to contribute monthly at any level. All sponsors get access to exclusive content and will have the opportunity to force me to review one movie of their choice, as long as we haven’t reviewed it, with just a few exceptions. Upcoming content includes a two-part interview with Kyle D. Hester and the beginning of an experimental segment called “One Movie Punch: Zero Percent”, where I’ll be reviewing a film which received the lowest possible score at Rotten Tomatoes. All contributions go to paying our expenses and growing with our audience.
We’ll have a quick promo before today’s classic review.
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Here we go!
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AMY: “How about ‘Juliet, Naked’?”
JOSEPH: “I’m not watching that film.”
AMY: “Come on!”
JOSEPH: “I said no. And you can’t make me.”
AMY: “Do you have trouble getting your partner who hosts a daily movie review podcast to watch the movies you want to watch?”
JOSEPH: “Where’s that music coming from?”
AMY: “Do you get tired of watching zombie movies or action thrillers or zombie action thrillers?”
JOSEPH: “Who are you talking to?”
AMY: “Well, I did, until I discovered a great solution. Hi, my name is Amy Dobzynski, aka One Movie Spouse, and I’m here to talk to you about Sponsor Sundays.”
JOSEPH: “Is there a hidden camera somewhere?”
AMY: “Sponsor Sundays are just one of the many benefits you receive when you become a patron of One Movie Punch. Just head over to patreon.com/onemoviepunch and become a monthly contributor at any level. Signing up is simple, and you’ll instantly become eligible for Sponsor Sundays. Setup is easy!”
JOSEPH: “Oh, look, a new sponsor!”
AMY: “Once you’re confirmed, you’ll be asked for a movie to review of your choice. Just type it in... Ju-li-et Na-ked Mo-ther-fu-BEEEEEEP... then hit send.”
JOSEPH: “And it’s... ‘Juliet, Naked’... <<gasp>> language!”
AMY: “Sorry!”
JOSEPH: “I guess you can make me! Okay, I’ll get it loaded up.”
AMY: “See? Isn’t that swell? So, head on over to patreon.com/onemoviepunch, sign up, and make Joseph watch a movie. It can be any movie the podcast hasn’t reviewed yet, and with just a few exceptions. And if you can’t decide, don’t worry! I have a whole list of films for him to watch.”
JOSEPH: “Let’s get this over with...”
AMY: “COMING!”
AMY: “Warning: Sponsor Sundays only works for podcast hosts affiliated with One Movie Punch. Sponsor Sundays may not work on other podcasts hosts, but you’re welcome to try. Requested reviews may result in unexpected criticism, both positive and negative. Offer void where prohibited, wherever that might be. If Sponsor Sundays begin to glow or emit strange odors, contact your local hazardous materials team. More details at patreon.com/onemoviepunch.”
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Today’s movie is “Juliet, Naked”, the Apatow Productions dramedy directed by Jesse Peretz and written for the screen by Evgenia Peretz, Jim Taylor, and Tamara Jenkins, based on the novel by Nick Hornby. The film follows Annie (Rose Byrne), a curator at the local museum, who is unhappy in her longtime relationship to Duncan Thomson (Chris O’Dowd). One major stress in their lives is Duncan’s obsession with Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), which eventually leads to their breakup and an unlikely relationship between Annie and Tucker.
No spoilers.
My resistance to seeing this movie is part genuine, part extended inside joke between One Movie Spouse and me. The inside joke is that I knew how much she wanted to see this film, but we couldn’t make the limited release in the theaters, and it debuted on streaming services right as we were dealing with a minor wildfire evacuation, which I took as a sign, in true Hornby fashion and with as much conviction as any of his characters, that I should never watch the film. I would even make funny excuses for why I couldn’t put it on the schedule which it hit subscription services, but then again, here we are.
The other part of my resistance was genuine, however. I wasn’t a
huge fan of the premise. I haven’t read ‘Juliet, Naked’ yet, and
the trailer makes the film look like a famous rock star breaks up
his biggest fan’s relationship. I should also mention I’m a music
nerd in the right circles, who used to run an internet site
dedicated to finding and preserving unsung independent music.
Watching someone I could easily identify with, especially in a
classic Hornby slightly depressive way, felt like setting myself up
for an uncomfortable viewing. I know how music nerds can be.
However, I’m also a huge fan of Hornby film adaptations, and O’Dowd
and Hawke are nearly always great. So, I guess I should thank One
Movie Spouse for this opportunity. I definitely should.
Hornby’s work is all about the characters, and ‘Juliet, Naked’ is no exception. More importantly, the characters tend to be extremely human and easily relatable, if not in their entirety, at least in some respect. I spoke earlier about my eerie relatability to Duncan, the mansplaining music nerd. Annie Platt is immediately relatable to any middle-aged woman feeling listless in their life. And while we can’t all identify with being rock stars, some of us can relate to Tucker Crowe, looking back at years wasted, and unable to outrun some of his poor decisions.
Great, relatable characters make film adaptations not just easier to translate, but also creates a fertile ground for interpretation by the actors. Chris O’Dowd brings a lot of his comedic presence to his role as Duncan Thomson, who plays a truly sad bastard in the best way possible, and who thankfully becomes deserving of his fate. Ethan Hawke makes a great forgotten rock star, able to be idolized or humanized depending on his interactions. Rose Byrne does well with Annie, maintaining a bottled anxiety throughout the film for the character. The film focuses on the main trio, and then Annie and Tucker, but supporting cast members weave in and out to help drive character revelations and development.
I’ve seen a lot of movies lately that can’t seem to get the book to video translation correct, especially when it comes to the story. Some novels need trimming down to make a solid film, at the cost of being a wholly faithful adaptation. This is especially necessary for slice of life stories like ‘Juliet, Naked’, which rather than having a clear start and finish, seems to begin by finishing one story for Annie and getting lost in starting a second story. Slice of life films are always a gamble, because it requires not just well-written characters, but an audience willing to accept films without clear endings. I’m good with those kinds of endings in novels, but not so much when it comes to film. I feel like there’s a whole other reel to the story of Annie and Tucker that we’re just never going to see.
My overall disappointment with the story is tempered by some truly hilarious and uncomfortable scenes that make Hornby the satirical genius that he is. The film has great locations, on both sides of the pond, which make for a nice backdrop on which the characters interact. I actually kind of thought that for a film about a musician, that the music doesn’t actually play a huge part in the film, with the exception of a few key scenes. Then again, why would you listen to a music nerd like me?
“Juliet, Naked” is somewhat a listless, but also funny dramedy about the end of one relationship and the beginnings of another. Hornby’s characters are translated well to the screen, both in the screenplay and by the actors, but the film also lacks the closure one might want. Fans of Hornby, or the cast, or alternative rock should definitely check out this film. And if you find yourself relating too much to Duncan, maybe consider making some changes in your life.
Rotten Tomatoes: 83% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 67
One Movie Punch: 8.2/10
“Juliet, Naked” (2018) is rated R and is currently playing on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Epix.