How far would you go for your family? That’s the question at the heart of I Don’t Understand You, the new comedy-horror film from writer-directors David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano.
I Don’t Understand You tells the story of wannabe parents Dom and Cole, played by Nick Kroll (Sing, Don’t Worry Darling) and Andrew Rannells (The Boys in the Band, The Prom), who head to Italy to celebrate their 10th anniversary. They’re also trying to avoid the reality of a recent adoption attempt that fell through. After their car breaks down en-route to their anniversary dinner, they are forced to rely on the locals for assistance. All that despite the fact that their understanding of Italian is more or less non-existent. They eventually stumble upon their intended destination, where the language barrier continues to provide plenty of opportunities for a comedy of errors. Until of course, things turn deadly…
It may not exactly sound like the premise for a laugh-out-loud comedy, and yet somehow it is! What starts off as a simple fish-out-of-water comedy of errors quickly descends into absolute blood-soaked farce. And I loved every second of it.
However, for this high-concept to work you need skilled performers. Kroll and Rannells are absolutely pitch perfect in their roles. Kroll has long since proved his comedy chops, but one must remember, too, that Rannells’ break-out role was in the comedy musical The Book of Mormon; though sadly he doesn’t sing a single show tune here. The chemistry between the two is electric, and while they may seem like an unlikely comedic duo, they play off of each other brilliantly. It’s also important to note that these two characters do commit some pretty ghastly murders (even if they were accidental), and yet you are so completely charmed by them that you cannot help but root for them.
The film is written and directed by real-life husbands David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano. It’s a remarkably strong feature for the newcomers (Crano has previously directed one feature and several shorts, while this is Craig’s first). There are confident comedic voices here that don’t go unnoticed. There’s also a great deal of heart and emotionality to the film. Yes, it’s a farce, but the farce is born out of very real human emotions: emotions driven by love and the desire to protect your loved ones. In the wrong hands this interplay could so easily tip into over-sentimentality, or worse, absolute absurdity, and yet Craig and Crano manage to walk that fine line and keep things perfectly in balance.
The film also looks fantastic. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when you’re shooting in the beautiful Italian countryside. Far too often comedies can look flat or lifeless, but cinematographer Lowell A. Meyer plays beautifully with light here (a key element to the films plot in the final act). This is easily one of the best looking comedies I’ve seen in decades.
At its core, I Don’t Understand You is a silly farce about two hapless Americans being undone by a language barrier in a foreign country. But its heart and emotionality, combined with truly some of the best comedic chemistry I’ve seen between two performers in years, elevates the film to one of my favourites of the year so far.
I Don’t Understand You opens in theatres June 6.
