You Hurt My Feelings, the charming A24 drama comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, arrives on Blu-ray on August 22. Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said), it explores the relationship of a lovingly married couple who are left reconsidering everything after Beth (Louis-Dreyfus) overhears her husband (Tobias Menzies) privately saying that he doesn’t like her new novel. It’s an intriguing, low-stakes movie about communication, honesty, and how we can hurt those that we care most about.
The film’s biggest triumph is that Louis-Dreyfus and Menzies feel like a real couple who act in love and support of one another. They’re well-off and privileged, living comfortably in New York City, yet inherently likable thanks to Holofcener’s naturally sharp dialogue. It winds up being a very funny movie, and seeing the couple have a seemingly long-overdue conversation about honest communication is a particular highlight. It gives the film a surprising emotional punch.
A lot of heart comes from the storyline concerning Beth and Don’s son, Eliot, played by Owen Teague. While the ground covered isn’t anything new, it’s a very well-put-together and thoughtful look at the potential repercussions of caring parents’ expectations. Just like the main story, viewers are left thinking about how much intentionality matters when the end result goes in an unintended direction.
While it is Louis-Dreyfus and Menzies that carry the story, it’s important to note how fantastic the supporting cast is as well. Two faces will be quite familiar to fans from Succession, as Arian Moayed is fantastic as a struggling actor named Mark that realizes he might just not be good at his job; Jeannie Berlin also plays Beth’s eccentric mother. Moayed’s best scenes are shared with Michaela Watkins, who shines as his wife and Beth’s sister. Another highlight is the real-life married couple of David Cross and Amber Tamblyn, who deliver laughs as an entertaining and toxic couple that isn’t getting anything out of therapy.
The Blu-ray features some nice extras in the form of a 20-minute featurette titled “Just Being Honest” and an audio commentary track. The making-of video is a solid look at filming within New York City on a budget, and features some insight from the performers as well.
The real value comes from the audio commentary, though, as Louis-Dreyfus and Holofcener are delightful together. Both discuss creative choices, share behind-the-scenes stories about the cast, and joke around while watching the movie. It definitely did its job and made me appreciate the movie even more after I already quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately, there are no deleted scenes included on the disc, which is a shame. Holofcener reveals in the commentary that Cross and Tamblyn had a lot of hilarious extra takes that weren’t used, and mentions some scenes that were shortened.
You Hurt My Feelings is a well-written dramedy laser focused on communication and the minutiae of relationships. Filled with strong performances from a very talented cast, it’s a comfortable film that you can put on, share a few laughs, and be left with some meaningful discussions to be had as well. The Blu-ray goes beyond the bare minimum with worthwhile special features, too, so it’s easily recommended as a result.
Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent a copy by the publisher for our You Hurt My Feelings Blu-ray review.
