With its main theme of miscommunication, “Nude Tuesday” is a weird, trippy, and funny film about the universality of emotions—from romance (or lack thereof) to frustration and madness. Never mind the words unspoken; Armağan Ballantyne and the filmmakers make use of a boatload of gibberish language instead throughout the film. It’s a gimmick that sometimes falters, even distracting more than reinforcing. Thankfully, with Jackie van Beek, Damon Herriman, and Jemaine Clement leading the way, the gambit works most of its 100-minute runtime.
The result: arguably the most inventive film of 2022.
Quick Fix to a Marriage Life Gone Stale: A Bohemian Couples Retreat
Set on a fictional place called Zǿbftąņ, “Nude Tuesday” introduces us to Laura (van Beek) and Bruno (Herriman), an old couple whose married life has gone stale. Sex life—if ever—occurred few and far between; Bruno even resorts to self-stimulation when Laura rebuffs his advances to have sex as nightcap (she claims she has thrush).
While the lack of physical intimacy is one reason for their marital woes, the stark difference in their personality is another. She’s a career woman marketing nappies who loves reading books; he’s a lowly tap salesman with questionable parenting approaches. With her professional stresses spilling over at home and his deemed failures causing him to feel bitter; it’s no surprise that their marriage needs an immediate fix. It’s an all-too-familiar scene filmmakers use to highlight how much a longtime couple’s sex life can end up in a rut. Just ask Lester Burnham.
During one dinner to celebrate Bruno and Laura’s anniversary, their parents come over to give each of them presents. And whereas Laura’s parents give her cash to use for a makeover, Bruno’s mother hands over a gift for the two of them. In a world where the in-laws know how marriages can eventually lose spark, Bruno’s mother believes attending a new-age retreat will do the tricks to save their marriage.
And with this mountainous couples retreat headed by borderline-sexually deviant guru Bjorg Rasmussen (a magnificently cast Jemaine Clement); the couple head over there searching for a remedy for their marriage—and step out with a cure.
“Can I touch you somewhere special?” Bruno (Herriman) and Laura (van Beek) try to restart the fire in their marriage in a scene from “Nude Tuesday” (Photo: Madman Entertainment, 2022).
‘Nude Tuesday:’ When Emotions Betray the [Gibberish] Words
Detailing what makes “Nude Tuesday” great through its screenplay would be a very complicated way of selling it. After all, Ballantyne and van Beek originally wrote the film in English, before the latter thought of setting the language to gibberish. Ultimately, following all the rigmarole of rehearsing the fictional language and filming the entire movie, the filmmakers commissioned comedian Julia Davis to add the subtitles—with her having never read the original screenplay at all. One can just imagine Davis basing entirely on the tone, delivery, and nuances of each gobbledygook spoken, and supplying the subtitles as she saw fit.
And while both Ballantyne and van Beek stated that the finished product greatly differed from the original screenplay; however one chooses to understand the scenes in pure gibberish—subtitles be damned—nonetheless drives home one important point. Emotions, in English or Latin or otherwise, are always universal.
This is why, despite the wide release of the film prompting another set of comedian-writers (Celia Pacquola and Ronny Chieng) to write their own subtitles, this critic firmly believes that “Nude Tuesday” would retain its heart. There might be different parts of the film for laughs as compared to Davis’ subtitling work, sure; but the universality of emotions would definitely stay the same.
Jemaine Clement leading a rather interesting session in a scene from “Nude Tuesday” (Photo: Madman Entertainment, 2022).
A Gambit that Works—Thanks to its Three Charismatic Leads
Finally, “Nude Tuesday” works in large part due to the performances of its leads. Herriman’s turn as a well-meaning but inept husband departs greatly from his sinister portrayal of real-life criminals. Clement, always a devilish choice to play chaotic roles, thrives in embodying this oversexed character; whose cult-like personality uses charm to diffuse tendencies of branding him a charlatan.
Most importantly, however, van Beek’s performance rings true—and then some. As someone who has spent years of her life being a wife and a mother; Laura might have finally realized why she’s been frustrated with her personal life: she’s forgotten how to be a lover. And with these performances carrying the film through its gibberish gamble; “Nude Tuesday” connects with its audiences in many ways that conventional narrative storytelling could only hope to do.
“Nude Tuesday” is currently doing rounds in this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
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