I must admit to being a recent convert to Ethan Hawke, thanks to his work in Maude. If you haven’t seen that movie you put it at the top of your list. So I approached Juliet Naked with a mixture of trepidation and a hope that Hawke would win me over once more. I’m pleased to say he did just that as the delightfully disheveled muso Tucker Rowe, along with the always gorgeous Chris O’Dowd and Rose Byrne.
Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne, and Chris O’Dowd by Alex Bailey. Thanks Madman
Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) is a tragically obsessive fan, who has every record, book and poster of rocker Tucker Crowe. In a nod to the times of social media, he also runs an online website where members spend hours discussing all things Crowe, particularly where he’s been for the past twenty years.
Duncan’s wife Annie (Rose Byrne) is not that interested in Crowe, in part because of the amount of time Duncan spends talking about him.
When a tape arrives in the mail Annie plays it, only to realise it’s an unheard acoustic demo of Tucker’s hit record 25 years ago. Her brutally honest reaction to the music has a knock on effect for the couple and ultimately leads to a life-changing encounter between Annie and the elusive rocker. A subsequent meeting with Duncan and his hero, or is it, is absolutely priceless.
Thanks to Madman
But Juliet Naked is not a one gag movie, which it could easily have been, it touches on family responsibilities, hero worship, and the decision we all face between living a neat life or living life fully in order to meet our own expectations.
Thanks to Madman and Michael Kovac
As I tapped my toes to the excellent sound track I pondered:
- Juliet Naked is a great blend of romance, drama and humour;
- This was second movie I’d seen recently about the perils of celebrity, maybe there’s something in this?
- Make sure you stay for the credits you’ll love it.
- What would you do if you met your hero?
For more information go to Luna Cinema
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