Annie (Rose Byrne) is in an unhappy relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd), a college teacher who is obsessed with Tucker Crowe ( Ethan Hawke), an obscure musician whose last work was released 25 years ago. Duncan operates a fan site dedicated to Crowe. One day, a package arrives in the mail containing an album, titled ‘Juliet, Naked’, of acoustic demos of the songs on Crowe’s hit album ‘Juliet’. Annie and Duncan listen to it separately, and have an argument over its quality. Annie writes a negative review of it on Duncan’s site.
Crowe comes upon the review and reaches out to Annie through email, thanking her for her honesty. The two quickly form a rapport. Crowe writes to Annie of his regrets as being a poor father to five children with four different mothers. Likewise, Annie discloses her disappointment with not having had any children.
Crowe lives near Jackson, his youngest son, and Jackson’s mother, Cat, in America. Crowe is visited by one of his other children, Lizzie, who is pregnant. Lizzie offers Crowe the phone number of another one of his children, Grace; the only one he purposely has had absolutely no contact with. Meanwhile, Duncan meets Gina, a new teacher at his college who shares his enthusiasm for the work of Crowe, and sleeps with her. Upon learning this, Annie breaks up with him.
Crowe soon journeys to London with Jackson for the birth of his first grandchild. He asks if Annie would like to meet up with him in person while he is relatively near her, and she agrees. However, Crowe suffers a heart attack, and Annie ends up visiting him in the hospital. There, Annie meets Jackson and Lizzie and most of Crowe’s exes and other children. Later, after Crowe has recovered and everyone else, besides Jackson, has left, Crowe suggests he and Jackson visit Annie’s home, and she accepts. Duncan discovers Crowe with Annie, and over dinner at Annie’s, expresses his love of Crowe’s work to Crowe’s inherent displeasure and disregard.
After Duncan leaves, Crowe tells Annie that his first love, Julie, the person he wrote his hit album for, visited him at one of his concerts, with their child, Grace. She gave her to him to hold and walked away. Crowe says that he panicked, thinking Julie wasn’t going to come back, so he left the baby in a men’s restroom. This was Crowe’s last concert, as he could not bring himself to go in front of a crowd and sing songs that he wrote about Julie anymore. Afterward, Crowe attempts to call Grace to make amends but to no avail, as Grace claims that she already has a father.
Crowe and Annie go to an exhibition that Annie was involved with. Annie bluntly confesses her romantic interest in Crowe, which he reciprocates. Annie’s boss, upon being introduced to Crowe, decides to have him sing for the exhibition. Despite his discomfort, Crowe agrees to sing, playing Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks. That night, Annie and Crowe attempt to have sex, but are interrupted by Jackson, having thrown up.
Afterward, Jackson inquires as to when he will be going home to his mother. Crowe asks Annie to come with them, but Annie says that she cannot. She adds that Crowe cannot leave his child for her either, because this is his last chance to do right by his kids. Dropping Crowe and Jackson off at Lizzie’s home in London, Annie says farewell. Back home, Annie is at a bar when Duncan arrives to plead for her forgiveness and ask for a fresh start which Annie declines.
Juliet, Naked is a 2018 romantic comedy film directed by Jesse Peretz based on Nick Hornby’s novel of the same name. It centers on the story of Annie (Rose Byrne), and her unlikely romance with singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), who is also the subject of her boyfriend’s (Chris O’Dowd) long-time music obsession. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018.
Juliet, Naked (2018)
Directed by: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O’Dowd, Rose Byrne, Kitty O’Beirne, Ethan Hawke, Alex Clatworthy, Lily Newmark, Denise Gough, Ayoola Smart, Eleanor Matsuura, Azhy Robertson, Enzo Cilenti, Phil Davis
Screenplay by: Tamara Jenkins, Jim Taylor, Phil Alden Lily Brazier, Robinson, Evgenia Peretz
Production Design by: Sarah Finlay
Cinematography by: Remi Adefarasin
Film Editing by: Sabine Hoffman, Robert Nassau
Costume Design by: Lindsay Pugh
Set Decoration by: Ellie Pash
Art Direction by: Caroline Barclay
Music by: Remi Adefarasin
MPAA Rating: R for language.
Distributed by: Lionsgate Films, Roadside Attractions
Release Date: August 17, 2018
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