“Charming Romantic Comedy Marred by Gratuitous Objectionable Content”
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What You Need To Know:
With great performances and grounded charm, JULIET, NAKED is mostly a delight, if viewers can forgive a few clichés and the predictable plot. While there are great themes of parenthood and second chances, the R rating seems out of place. The movie could have done without its foul language and sexual references. The movie’s main love story is cute but ultimately falls to the idea that personal happiness is what matters most in a romantic relationship. Extreme caution is advised for JULIET, NAKED.
Content:
Strong Romantic worldview where personal happiness is the ultimate fulfillment of life, with a comment against Christian rules about marriage and living together, plus female lead’s sister is a lesbian and shares her escapades (mostly for comic relief) and light moral, redemptive elements as male character tries to become a good father and make amends with his children; •
14 obscenities (11 “f” words, three “s” words) and four profanities using the names of God and Jesus as expletives; •
No violence; •
Some strong and light sexual content includes one couple has lived together for 15 years without getting married, multiple sexual conversations throughout the movie, a scene of infidelity involving kissing, Annie’s lesbian sister discusses having an affair with a married woman, a scene of kissing with implied intercourse following, woman gives man batteries from her vibrator, new romantic couple discuss whether or not he can have fornication so soon after a heart attack, and a big theme is man’s attempt to be a good dad to his numerous children with different moms, all of which were born out of wedlock; •
No explicit nudity, but woman runs out of her room in bra and underwear to stop a smoke alarm, man’s pants fall down after bedroom scene is interrupted by his son, a little child pulls his pants down to go to the bathroom, but nothing is explicitly shown; •
A few people drink beers at a party and there are a few references to a major character being an alcoholic; •
No smoking or drug content; and, •
Cheating.
More Detail:
Annie (Rose Byrne) feels stuck in her boring life as a museum curator in a 15-year relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd), a college professor and number-one fan of 1990s rock musician Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). When it becomes clear to Annie she’ll always take second place to Tucker Crowe in Duncan’s mind, she takes matters into her own hands on a Tucker Crowe fansite, leaving a mean review of his newest album, which leads to an email exchange with Tucker himself.
As Annie and Tucker begin their transatlantic email correspondence, it becomes clear he understands her far better than Duncan ever has. As their relationship evolves, the two have to figure out if there’s more than just simple email correspondence and if Duncan can accept his former girlfriend dating his idol.
Brimming with charm and heart, JULIET, NAKED brings consistent smiles throughout its running time. Rose Byrne shines in her role as Annie, as she often does. Chis O’Dowd gives a great performance as a pretentious cinephile and culture snob. He is always fun to watch, but his character is rather one-dimensional. He’s annoying at best and adulterous at worst, leading the viewer to question Annie’s intelligence as to why she stayed with him so long. Ultimately, Duncan isn’t really a source of conflict between Annie and Tucker as JULIET, NAKED falls to the unfortunate romcom trope of the “evil boyfriend” vs. the “great new guy.” No one in their right mind would choose Duncan over Tucker, so the plot becomes easy and predictable.
Yet the movie has enough going for it to still be interesting. As a washed-up rocker, Ethan Hawke gives a great performance as Tucker struggles with the mistakes of his past, including the four children he had with the various women he met on the road. It’s refreshing to see a man who’s learned from his mistakes and dedicates the rest of his life to being a good father. Within this struggle, JULIET, NAKED steps out of the norm of romantic comedies and becomes a movie about redemption and second chances.
While the performances, plot and characters sustain the enjoyment throughout the movie, there are some moral flaws in the content. Annie makes a joke that she is against organized religion as an excuse for her 15-year relationship to Duncan without marriage. Since neither are truly committed to the other, they ultimately separate due to infidelity and boredom. The movie praises Annie for choosing what makes her happy in the end. While this is a valiant character arc, it sends the message that personal happiness is what is most important in a romantic relationship. The movie also garners an R-rating, mostly for some foul language and sexual references, which seem out of place in this understated and charming, though predictable, movie.
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