Bonnie Anderson
Special to The Morning Star
The Okanagan Screen Arts Society is showing Juliet, Naked at the Vernon Towne Cinema Oct. 15.
Based on Nick Hornby’s novel and directed by Jesse Peretz, this is the story of Annie (Rose Byrne), the long-suffering girlfriend of Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) and her long-distance romance with an obscure singer-songwriter, Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke).
Duncan has a fan club called Tucker Crowe, and he is obsessed with discussing and extolling the music of this legendary rock star who disappeared from the public eye and has not performed or made any albums in 20 years. After a CD arrives called Juliet, Naked, Annie writes a critical review on Duncan’s blog, sparking a response from Tucker Crowe himself.
The ensuing email relationship evolves into something more serious causing Annie and Duncan’s strained relationship to take a turn when Tucker Crowe tries to make a career comeback. Open-hearted and wistful, this is a well-written film about the complexities of romance, while being hopeful and romantic, also contains some harsh realities.
In this comedic portrayal of life’s second chances, Hawke’s performance is terrific. Byrne is very realistic and down-to-earth with excellent acting and O’Dowd’s character is quite funny when he keeps finding out new information about his idol, Tucker Crowe.
This sweet, romantic comedy with dramatic undertones that give depth to Annie and Tucker’s unusual bond is about life’s second chances and is sure to resonate with most viewers. It is not just a film about finding love, but it is also about discovering the difference between a fan’s rose-coloured glasses and reality, as is the case with Duncan who thinks he knows everything about Tucker. There are many hilarious scenes with a great screenplay and excellent editing, full of clever twists and deliciously funny as it pokes gentle fun at all of the characters.
Showtimes are 5:45 and 7:45 p.m. A cash wine bar is on site. Enjoy a pre-show intro by resident filmmaker Matt McDowell and live music in the lobby before the early show courtesy of Les Copeland. Advance tickets are available at the Towne Cinema box office and Expressions of Time.
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