The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)

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- TJ MCKAY

Based on a novel by Nick Hornby, Juliet, Naked is a sweet, reserved romantic comedy set in a sleepy English coastal town.

Annie Platt (Rose Byrne) becomes curator of Sandcliff Seaside Museum following her father’s death.

Her lecturer boyfriend Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) runs a website called Can You Hear Me?, which is devoted to American singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), who walked out of a gig 30 years ago and hasn’t been seen since.

Obsession teeters into hysteria when Duncan receives a CD of an early version of Crowe’s landmark album, Juliet.

“It’s boring versions of songs you’ve heard millions of times before,” grimaces Annie.

Fractures in the relationsh­ip deepen after Duncan acts on his primal attraction to fellow lecturer Gina (Denise Gough).

In the midst of this emotional upheaval, Annie initiates an animated email conversati­on with the real Tucker Crowe, who is living in the garage of an old flame (Eleanor Matsuura) so he can take care of their son Jackson (Azhy Robertson).

Fate conspires to bring Tucker to London with his boy and sparks of attraction lift the gloom over Annie’s predictabl­e, day-to-day existence.

Juliet, Naked is unlikely to become a defining cinematic soundtrack to anyone’s life but Peretz’s film doesn’t hit many bum notes en route to a predictabl­e resolution.

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