“Juliet, Naked” Is a Good Tune in a Minor Key From the Nick Hornby Songbook

For the curious, there is no Juliet or nakedness in Juliet, Naked. The title refers to a revised demo tape of a one hit wonder album for either the critically under rated or over rated Tucker Crowe. The evaluation depends on whether you see life as an non-pretentious romantic comedy or a neglected masterpiece of staggering genius. Juliet, Naked is a romcom so it chooses the simple life, the characters over the plot.

Whether the music is any good is left for you to decide. The only thing that matters is that the characters write and sing their own gentle and compatible song.

The song that Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke create has all the familiar hooks and beats even though it is sung in the minor key for a Nick Hornby inspired tune. It is quaint, creaky and hummable and resolutely remains their song. That’s the best you can expect from a good romantic comedy.

Juliet, Naked is a good tune to listen to for the late September cinema blues.