Movie Review: ‘You Hurt My Feelings’

In theaters May twenty sixth, ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ represents a reunion for director Nicole Holofcener and star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and a welcome one at that.

In an period when grownup dramas and comedies have a tough time discovering area between large franchise behemoths crowding the multiplex, it’s reassuring to know that ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ represents the most recent dependable low-key laugh-grabber from Holofcener, who focuses on tales of characters obsessive about their emotional and life standing, whose worlds are thrown for a loop by sudden circumstances.

What’s the story of ‘You Hurt My Feelings’?

The movie charts the emotional rollercoaster of married couple Louis-Dreyfus’ Beth (a author whose memoir was revealed to some acclaim and whose newest e book, a piece of fiction, continues to be in progress) and Don (Tobias Menzies), a therapist who’s dropping religion in his potential to counsel his more and more dissatisfied sufferers and in his personal look.

Their seemingly completely happy, if barely rut-riding marriage is plunged into disarray when Beth overhears Don telling brother-in-law Mark (Arian Moayed) that he doesn’t actually like her new novel after studying many drafts. Stunned, Beth begins to query whether or not he’s ever actually been sincere together with her, and the way actual she has been with others in her life, together with sister Sarah (Michaela Watkins) and son Eliot (Owen Teague), an aspiring author himself at the moment biding his time managing a New York hashish retailer.

As the ripples of the unlikely drama unfold out via each companions’ work and household teams, actual truths begin to swim to the floor of this seemingly completely happy relationship.

Jeannie Berlin as Georgia in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’

Who else is within the movie?

Aside from the leads, Holofcener’s newest additionally options Jeannie Berlin as Beth and Sarah’s grouchy mom Georgia, Amber Tamblyn, David Cross, Zach Cherry and Sarah Steele amongst Don’s sufferers, plus Bryan Reynoso, Karolena Greenidge, Doug Moe, Lynnsey Lewis and Claudia Robinson.

(L to R) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth and director Nicole Holofcener on the set of A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘You People’

A welcome reunion

The largest benefit that ‘Feelings’ has –– past Holofcener’s sometimes incisive, humorous script and delicate path –– is her welcome reunion with Louis-Dreyfus after 2013’s ‘Enough Said’. She could have some strategy to go to be a Holofcener collaborator on the dimensions of, say, Catherine Keener, however the two have clearly discovered a stable vibe.

As Beth, Louis-Dreyfus switches tracks from (largely) contented spouse and mom to puddle of neuroses, completely conveying the type of nervy creative character craving for approval from these round them and saddled with a mom (Berlin’s Georgia is extra of an ordinary character kind however offers her layers) who is rarely fairly happy. Louis-Dreyfus sells each second of Beth’s journey, turning what might be a irritating archetype right into a relatable girl. She’s given extra to do than, say, her flip as Jonah Hill’s overzealous Jewish mom in ‘You People’.

Tobias Menzies as Don in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’

As Don, in the meantime, British actor Menzies can be nice. Far from being a inventory husband in a movie like this, he has his personal inside life and a clutch of humorous, grumpy remedy purchasers with their very own points (Cross and Tamblyn carry humorous real-life married couple vitality to 2 of them) and is the right twitchy complement to Beth. It’s additionally entertaining how he’s the type of therapist fast to supply recommendation to others about how to determine their relationships however seemingly stymied by the mildest difficulty arising in his personal.

And their marriage comes throughout as practical and nuanced, slightly than schticky, even when within the midst of their disagreement.

Yet whereas Beth and Don are the main focus, the movie shares the care and a focus past them, increase Watkins’ Sarah and her frustrations as an inside designer, choosing out ever extra ridiculous/ugly lamps for a picky shopper (Clara Wong’s Ali), and questioning whether or not she’d be higher off ditching the job and discovering one thing extra significant. Moayed, in the meantime, Sarah’s schlubby actor husband, is coping with his personal profession disaster. Mildly profitable in movies, he’s now struggling together with his newest job within the theater and starting to wonder if appearing is one thing he ought to do in any respect. More usually discovered being a lot slicker and profitable on ‘Succession’, Moayed is a superb fourth pillar within the central story.

(L to R) Tobias Menzies as Don and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’

Are there points?

As is regular for Holofcener, the stakes are extremely low-level, seen as an issue solely actually by the folks concerned. And there’s a likelihood that can flip off some audiences –– is it actually doable to actually empathize with rich (or no less than snug) New Yorkers whining about somebody not liking their newest work or feeling let down by their skilled decisions? Fortunately, the author/director finds the humanity in these characters, and the assorted actors offer you sufficient to make you care how their tales end up.

Yet in a movie the place there are such a lot of well-drawn characters, it’s solely actually Eliot who suffers from a barely undernourished take; it’s no fault of Teague, who gives a humorous efficiency, however he actually solely has one alternative to shine, in a minor breakdown in entrance of his dad and mom about how his mom’s encouragement set him as much as fail at life.

But these are comparatively minor complaints within the efficient new movie from a author/director whose eager sense of comedy and character are undimmed. It’s a pleasure to have new work from Holofcener, and one thing reliably entertaining for anybody who isn’t drawn to capes fluttering within the wind, or vehicles racing across the streets.

It may not be fairly on the identical stage as ‘Enough Said’, or the Oscar-nominated, Melissa McCarthy-starring ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’, however ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ is a stable entry in Holofcener’s neuroses-laden character canon.

‘You Hurt My Feelings’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

(L to R) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth and Tobias Menzies as Don in A24’s ‘You Hurt My Feelings.’

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‘You Hurt My Feelings’ is produced by Likely Story, and FilmNation Entertainment. It is about to launch in theaters on May twenty sixth, 2023.