Tribeca 2022: Nude Tuesday ***

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on June 18, 2022)

https://i0.wp.com/digbysblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/image-36.png?resize=1024%2C577&ssl=1

I must warn you: this film is complete gibberish. Literally…the dialog is spoken in a made-up language. Frankly, I was fully prepared to find this gimmick annoying, but thankfully a) there are subtitles and b) the film is nonetheless entertaining.

Writer-director Armagan Ballantyne’s off-the wall dramedy concerns middle-aged couple Laura and Bruno (co-screenwriter Jackie van Beek and Damon Harriman), who have hit a roadblock in their marriage. Bruno’s mother browbeats them into attending a couple’s retreat, to rekindle their passion. The resort is lorded over by a free-spirited sex guru (played with aplomb by Jemaine Clement). Vacillating between riotous cringe comedy and surprising sweetness, the film also pokes gentle fun at “self-actualization” culture (reminiscent of Bill Persky’s 1980 satire Serial).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *