No. 42 (2023) YOU HURT MY FEELINGS. June 3rd.

 

Film No. 42  (2023)  June 3rd.  11:00 AM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 1, Leederville.

 

"Well I just get a little bit, right here. You know I can still move my eyebrows. Look!" (Beth presents her case for how little Botox has impacted on her face, the scene creates a laugh out loud moment).

NOMINATIONS: Nil (Pending, due to early release. 2023 awards lists not complete).

Julia Louise-Dreyfus has a silliness, a quirkiness but most of all an intelligence when it comes to her screen roles. She rarely disappoints. YOU HURT MY FEELINGS reinforces all that I'm saying. Her Beth, a moderately successful author, loving wife to Don (Tobias Menzies), loyal sister to Sarah (Arian Moayed) and caring mum to Eliot (Owen Teague) takes us on a delightful journey where the social drama on show, rings true with us all.

Ten years on from their collaboration on ENOUGH SAID, writer/director Nicole Holofcener and Dreyfus team up again. Their collaboration on ENOUGH SAID was a delight. Holofcener has a good ear/eye for what resonates with a thoughtful audience. She relies on her audience to have experienced romantic love, and while having been married is not an essential prerequisite, it helps.  Her style is unique because, whilst themes of distrust and vanity are on show, she never creates characters who take themselves too seriously. We admire their courage to admit fault and move on. The lightness with which she writes is seriously amusing.

At 93 minutes (you remember those films?) FEELINGS never outstays its welcome. Issues relating to: people and their therapy, telling white lies, enjoying friendship and family, and always being there for your children punctuate scenes which meld to create a good film. Not a film that lingers in the mind for days or weeks, but one to keep you smiling for days afterwards.

 Dreyfus is fun to be around for the hour and a half. She does get a run for her money though. Don (Menzies) quietly steals a couple of very funny in-therapy scenes and Sarah (Moayed) has some of the best lines as she tries to impress her indulged clients while consulting as a designer. VEEP and SEINFELD devotees will all enjoy Dreyfus, no matter.  9GUMS.