(spoiler free)
‘Juliet, Naked’ is the film adaptation of the 2009 novel of the same name by Nick Hornby whose previous work includes ‘High Fidelity’ and ‘About a Boy’. It focuses on couple Annie & Duncan played by Rose Byrne and Chris O’Dowd. However, there’s always been another man in their relationship – Tucker Crowe, played by Ethan Hawke, an ageing American musician who is the subject of Duncan’s obsession. As a result he’s always been a major part of Annie and Duncan’s relationship but the events of the film specifically follow what happens when he becomes a part of their lives in a much more real way than either of them could ever have imagined.
As is often the case with the genre, this romantic-comedy has a small number of characters but it’s all about quality over quantity here as each of the three main characters are cast excellently. Byrne is a great choice for Annie, she’s a likeable actress and she makes it easy to identify with Annie’s despairing attitude to her relationship and career. It feels like she’s on the brink of a mid-life crisis, and let’s be honest aren’t we all!? The audience are rooting for her from the get go, something that’s essential for a rom-com to work and definitely one of the reasons why this one is so enjoyable. Casting her on screen boyfriend as O’Dowd is perfect for Duncan’s character who more often than not has eyes for Tucker, the musician he’s obsessed with, instead of long-term girlfriend Annie. O’Dowd nails the comedy that his character’s obsession brings about. He simultaneously provides humour but also portrays drama when the screenplay requires him too. Hawke completes a trio of brilliant performances portraying the old rocker, attempting to make the most of his complicated personal life he’s made for himself over the years. Hawke fits the role well and he’s believable in the context of the characters past and present situation. He has an effortless chemistry with Byrne and succeeds in making this far-fetched narrative feel natural.
It’s this ridiculous narrative, telling the story of how these three characters connect that creates so much potential for comedy and makes it feel so refreshing within the extremely crowded rom-com genre. The comedy featured is varied, offering a real mix of humour, one example would be the collision of cultures Tucker experiences when he encounters the the Mayor of Annie’s town, one of the funniest scenes of the movie. The concept alone is just so ludicrous though, in terms of both story and characters but it never feels silly instead making the most of the scenarios created providing ample entertainment for the audience. In addition to this ‘Juliet, Naked’ avoids a lot of cliches and doesn’t feel bound by the genre tropes. It comes across as truly free to do its own thing and in an unpredictable way too. It has a good balance of comedy to romance, focusing more on the former with a lot of drama to compliment it, instead of just solely romance. As a result it’s light and isn’t bogged down by the romantic elements of the screenplay. Instead these moments contribute to and further the story in an entertaining way. The film even touches on conversations about art, music and writing which whilst not major elements to the screenplay still deliver a more interesting overall narrative than a more generic romantic-comedy would have to offer.
Ultimately, ‘Juliet, Naked’ isn’t currently and probably won’t end up making much noise at the box office but if you’re looking for an enjoyable, amusing and entertaining easy watch it would be hard to go wrong with this refreshing rom-com. The three main performers give life to the light and pleasant screenplay in a skillful way elevating the whimsical ideas into a fully fledged narrative fit for the film treatment. Furthermore, the film delivers the right mixture of ‘rom’ to ‘com’ and never overstays its welcome proving to be an unexpected highlight of the genre this year.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 7.5/10
Question: What is your favourite rom-com of the year?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
Thanks for reading this review and please let us know what you thought about the movie! Leave a comment below or drop us a tweet over at @HCMovieReviews.
HCMovieReviews 
Leave a comment