The reign of Ethan Hawke continues this year. Following a career-best turn (or certainly a match to his Richard Linklater collaborations) in First Reformed, later this fall his next directorial effort Blaze will arrive, but in between things get a bit lighter and more romantic with Juliet, Naked. Directed by Jesse Peretz (Girls, Our Idiot Brother) based on Nick Hornby’s novel, the story follows Rose Byrne’s character as she falls for a rock star (Hawke), who also happens to be an object of fandom for her boyfriend (Chris O’Dowd).
Dan Mecca said in his Sundance review, “Peretz has always been a humanist filmmaker and this material suits him. The screenplay, credited to many (Tamara Jenkins, Evgenia Peretz, Phil Alden Robinson, and Jim Taylor), plays scattershot at times, but the director does well to keep the focus on his leads. Hawke and Byrne are given the most screen time and their chemistry is built of an interesting alchemy: not particularly explosive, but casually aligned. Both are playing middle-aged people in need of new direction in starkly opposite ways. Even their acting styles compete a bit, Hawke a bit subdued and Byrne a bit performative. Their exchanges feel honest for a duo that may not be perfect for each other but are perfect for their present circumstance.”
See the trailer and poster below.
Annie (Rose Byrne) is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) – an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). When the acoustic demo of Tucker’s hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, its release leads to a life-changing encounter with the elusive rocker himself. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, Juliet, Naked is a comic account of life’s second chances.
Juliet, Naked opens on August 17.