In a Story of Love and Fandom, a Rock Musician Seeks Help

Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke in "Juliet, Naked"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Whenever an author writes multiple books, although the characters and settings will change, the author might have a common theme that runs underneath several of their stories.  Nick Hornby has done this with some of his novels where music plays a part in the narrative, such as in "High Fidelity” (1995) and “About a Boy” (1998).

In 2009, Hornby published another novel that involved music within its story, called "Juliet, Naked,” which has now been brought to the big screen with director Jesse Peretz.  Although this romantic comedy-drama has a story that’s somewhat familiar, the work between the three lead performances elevates the film above its conventions.

Annie Platt (Rose Byrne) is a museum curator living in a coastal English village with her boyfriend, Duncan Thomson (Chris O'Dowd), whose life is dedicated to the music of alternative-rock musician, Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke).  Circumstances soon arise that cause Annie to begin e-mailing with Tucker.  Then, when the two meet, Annie's complicated relationship with Duncan will be made even more so.

Byrne is an actress who can always be counted on for her comedic talents, as we’ve seen with her performances in "Spy," "Neighbors," "Bridesmaids," and "Get Him to the Greek.”  She has a great habit of being a standout of any comedy in which she appears, and "Juliet, Naked" isn't any different, in which she exhibits a screen presence that’s equal parts humorous and charming.  Despite her character being a grounded individual, Byrne is able to elicit a terrific deal of laughter because of her line delivery and the way in which she has her everyday-person of a character approach the story’s comical situations.

Although Hawke’s character is of a kind that we’ve seen before, he succeeds in the role by displaying the wit and drama that Tucker faces in regard to his dysfunctional family life and faded career.  Hawke proves that he can be funny, but it’s in the dramatic sections of the film where he’s most memorable, as he’s able to show the emotional toll that his character’s questionable decisions have had on him and his family.  It’s a familiar scenario, but his character isn’t let off quite as easily as we’d expect, and Hawke is able to sell the ache that Tucker feels with the direction in which his life has taken him.

O'Dowd is terrific as an uberfan of Tucker’s, heading an online group of fellow enthusiasts who deconstruct his work. He delivers the witty obsessiveness that his character has for Tucker’s music, allowing you to identify with him because of how we all have that one thing over which we obsess, be it an artist, movie, book, or anything else.  This all leads to a fun performance that gets you caught up in Duncan's worshipping of Tucker.

The screenplay by Tamara Jenkins, Jim Taylor, Phil Alden Robinson, and Evgenia Peretz is clichéd in spots, but the story still manages to subvert our assumptions at other points, providing jokes and set-ups that lead to some noteworthy scenes, such as a humorous reunion of Tucker's family.  And, despite the commonplaceness of some parts of the story, the writers are still able to give the trio of leads enough to do that make their time together entertaining.

Besides the blossoming friendship between Annie and Tucker, the story sheds light on other aspects of their characters, making them more engaging.  During several scenes, we get a look at Annie’s professional life, as well as an in-depth look at Tucker’s family, which lets us see the extent of the disorder that’s occurred throughout his life.  All of this provides the story with characters who go beyond what we might expect from a movie in this genre.

As a director, Peretz uses the wonderful chemistry between the three leads to evoke the laughs that the film’s scenarios have to offer.  He lets the natural humor within the situations come out through the interactions of the characters and doesn't make any of the jokes feel forced, all while showing an ability to balance the film's comical and dramatic tones.

"Juliet, Naked" isn’t anything groundbreaking for this genre.  But, if it’s given a chance, it will surprise and delight.

Grade: B+