Directed By Nicole Holofcener

Starring – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins

The Plot – Beth (Louis-Dreyfus), a popular writer, and her husband Don (Menzies), a well-liked teacher, share the kind of relationship that truly, seriously, for the love of God cannot be real: that is, they’re actually in love. Even after decades of marriage, parenting, and their own successful careers, their physical spark has somehow not diminished. Should it come as a surprise then that his own marriage is in crisis? But when Beth discovers that Don has been untruthful to her about his opinion of her work for years, Beth’s world comes crashing down.

Rated R for adult language

You Hurt My Feelings | Official Trailer HD | A24 – YouTube

POSITIVES

Holofcener’s film about the complexities of communication and how we respond to such is a brutally honest and thought-provoking commentary on the state of 21st century interactions, with Nicole’s trademark wit driving much of the narrative that takes us in and out of the colorful characters that make up the experience. It’s a simplistically intimate film while zeroing in on the nuances of one particular couple, but one whose universal themes about aging, parenting and evolving family dynamics offers something enlightening for every demographic of the audience perspective, lending itself seamlessly to the daring side of cinema that A24 has carved an ambitious reputation out of, over the last decade. It starts with the dialogue, which not only vividly conveys the lived-in depth and chemistry of its leads, but also asks all of the right questions with regards to necessary transparency that condemn most relationships dead upon arrival. In this regard, Holofcener ironically acts as a therapist for the world she’s continuously conveying, firmly illustrating the extent of the problem, without downright spoon-feeding us the resolution, and with so many colorful characters intoxicating us with interactions that don’t entirely lend themselves to fictional cinema, but for all of the right reasons, ingrains an element of humanity and humility towards each of them that earnestly embraces the uncertainty of its conflict, and if they will ever rightfully find their way out of it. The script is refreshingly unorthodox, especially in the balance of donated time between the collective ensemble, with the supporting characters feeling more consciencious than we’re typically used to in dramedies, and the editing mirroring the unraveling consistency of a TV drama, but without any of the limitations in production value that unfairly draw such a comparison. Instead, Holofcener draws into the Big Apple experience, with established imagery and unique aspects about the location that breed the one-of-a-kind commentary about the city that made Woody Allen a prominent career. The performances, lead and supporting, are impeccable, beginning with Louis-Dreyfus and Menzies, whose evolving body language, nagging neurocies, and three-dimensional charisma supplant a believable perfect fit in dynamic that perfectly illustrates their extensive histories with the way they stare and speak to one another. Louis-Dreyfus in particular has made a career out of being the quirky quack that it’s kind of nice to see some dramatic muscle being flexed by her in scenes that truly humble her with reality-shifting circumstances that often overwhelm her. In addition, memorable turns by David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, Arian Moayed and Jeannie Berlin are much appreciated in taking some of the burden of responsibility off of the shoulders of its leads, even if they are all secondary to Michaela Watkins atmospherically-defining chameleon who seamlessly paints the demand and necessity of her character into any scene that Holfcener graciously imbeds her into. Finally, while the humor itself is spontaneously rendered and often effective at garnering some long-winded laughs to my engagement, it’s the way it’s used that is most cathartic, in that the characters who are struggling most often use humor as a defense mechanism to cope with the once familiar elements of their lives that are now crumbling around them. This gives the film a reason to focus on so many uniquely diverse characters, instead of just our two protagonists, allowing the pacing to naturally weave its way throughout the many compelling vocal points that each play into the over-arching thematic impulses that draw so many people together, but for entirely different reasons.

NEGATIVES

At 88 minutes, and with so many compelling character arcs, the film could use another twenty minutes of screen time to expand upon the dramatic stakes and circumstances of the established plot between the couple, especially since they’re sharing vital screen time with so many corresponding characters that consistently come back into play. That’s not to say that the main plot is underutilized, just that it doesn’t fully materialize until there is less than forty minutes remaining in the engagement, and if Holofcener lived in that confrontation for slightly longer, it would feel all the more chaotic to Beth to confront the ideals of honest feedback, and what she expects from such therapeutic affirmations. The demand for more time is a testament to the interactions that Holofcener molds unapologetically, and for my money I would gladly spend more time with these characters in a finished product that only further ravels in the uncertainty of what the truth can capably conjure. Aside from this, my only other problem with the film pertained to the ending, which felt a bit improper for Holofcener’s previous messages in her directed films. The last ten minutes of the movie just kind of wither while waiting for the right moment to properly fade to black, and the longer it persists the more it offers picture perfect resolution towards each of the respective character conflicts, in turn leveling most of the ambiguity and unfinished emphasis of life that Nicole has previously commended in past work.

OVERALL
“You Hurt My Feelings” is a sharply-steered and wisely-written return for Nicole Holofcener, who brandishes authenticity and unapologetic insight in the crippling realities of truth that you can’t help but laugh at. With meaningfully moving turns from Louis-Dreyfus and Menzies, as well as an expansively gifted ensemble, but also a recognizably human domestic conflict, Holofcener is able to tap into the well of humor that never runs dry, supplanting what is easily her best feature to date.

My Grade: 8/10 or B+