I've been watching some of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' films recently and I like her performances, especially in comedies. After seeing her in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) and You People (2023), I can say she's great at what she does. Seeing this rom-com, I knew I had to watch it.
At first glance at the title, I was like, ugh, I don't do well with mushiness and sentimentality in movies. However, it's not so. It's actually a movie that runs like a normal day or days in the life of a married couple and focuses on something so often taken for granted that it can become a tragedy that breaks hearts.
You Hurt My Feelings (2023) is an American rom-com about Beth (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a writer, who published a successful memoir and is working on another book—a mystery novel. She teaches a class of five students on writing. She's married to a therapist, Don (played by Tobias Menzies), they have an adult son who works in a weed store and hopes to finish writing his novel.
Beth makes her husband read her drafts and he supports her by saying it's good. However, her editor disagrees and asks her to write another one. Beth goes to the mall with her sister and sees Don and her brother-in-law there sock shopping. The women decide to surprise the men. As they sneak up on them, Beth overhears heartbreaking comments from her husband who was unaware she was listening to every word from behind him. Marital friction ensues. Will this seasoned couple survive this hurdle in their relationship?
Review
You Hurt My Feelings is a fine and delightful film worth watching. It does not follow the usual filmmaking route of a big conflict and resolution. Instead, it's focused on the little things that are usually ignored in a relationship, things that other filmmakers would not make a central point in their movies.
Director Nicole Holofcener weaves her storytelling style to comprise a mosaic of short, punchy scenes capturing feelings that are common in marriage/family relationships. Beth gets into a depressing mood of self-doubt, self-pity and resentment when she unintentionally discovers her husband's lack of confidence in her writing. It makes her question the trust in their marriage.
The viewing time is about one hour and thirty minutes. The flick may seem flat at first but it was fun to watch these characters live a normal life. As you continue to watch, these scenes add up with the central conflict to give a gratifying arc and resolution at the end.
I also like how the director focused on each character to tell their story. There are five central characters: Beth and Don, their son, Elliot, and Sarah and Mark. Their issues are highlighted and we see them in action failing and doubting themselves. Then the storytelling shifts to a point where they face their shortcomings and things begin to turn out positively for them.
Themes of white lies and support in marriage, an artist's identity and commitment to a person's passions are beautifully explored in this film. As a budding writer, it's easy to relate to Beth's need for validation and support on her work. I'm sure many long-term married couples will also understand the controversy surrounding Beth and Don's marital harmony.
Overall, this rom-com is great and I'll recommend it. It's casual yet compelling and the cast's performance is excellent. I'll give it 4 stars out of 5.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
Posted using CineTV