Shadows on the Wall | I Don't Understand You

I Don’t Understand You

dir-scr David Joseph Craig, Brian William Crano
prd Joel Edgerton, Nash Edgerton, Kara Durrett, Jessamine Burgum, Jon Glickman
with Nick Kroll, Andrew Rannells, Amanda Seyfried, Morgan Spector, Nunzia Schiano, Eleanora Romandini, Paolo Romano, Cecilia Dazzi, Leonardo Verni, Arcangelo Iannace, Vincenzo Gallo, Giuseppe Attanasio
release US 6.Jun.25
24/Italy 1h36

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Bright and snappy, this goofy comedy spirals from sweet and hopeful into nutty horror as two hapless Americans find themselves in trouble far from home. As the title suggests, things get increasingly messy due to the language barrier, which makes the increasingly unhinged plot begin to feel belaboured. Sharply well-made, the film takes a turn into pitch-black humour, which makes it somewhat tricky to continue sympathising with the characters.

After falling for a scam while adopting a baby, Dom (Kroll) and Cole (Rannells) fly to Italy to celebrate their wedding anniversary before their prospective new baby's mother Candace (Seyfried) gives birth. But their idyllic holiday takes an unexpected turn when they get lost trying to find an isolated restaurant run by sparky old Zia (Schiano). Things get more complicated when Zia's son Massimo (Spector) turns up for more miscommunication, followed by his wife Francesca (Romandini). Meanwhile, Candace goes into early labour, so Dom and Cole only want to get on the next plane out.

Unable to speak Italian, Dom and Cole are useless at communicating with anyone here. And they panic in every situation, which of course makes things exponentially worse as this absurd situation unfolds. The script takes things to extremes, with seriously grisly violence that's always played for comedic value alongside some big emotional swings relating to the fear of impending parenthood.

Somehow remaining likeable, Kroll and Rannells never stop playing this as a light-hearted comedy, even when things turn grisly. Their interaction is relentlessly oblivious, blithely stumbling through an over-the-top situation. Meanwhile, the surrounding cast members play things relatively straight, adding a sense of real-life to the continual miscommunication. But the overall approach is very silly, which kind of undermines the more serious things that are going on from scene to scene.

Because the fear of fatherhood is clearly the central theme here, there's a swell of sentiment that surges every time the script turns back to Dom and Cole's forthcoming child. This adds a strong kick to the bond between them, and of course the escalating craziness also pushes them closer together as they try to get to the hospital to meet their new son. But these things sit rather awkwardly alongside the path of destruction they leave in their wake. Which oddly makes the whole movie feel very flippant.

themes, language, violence 4.Jun.25

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