Back in 2013, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and filmmaker Nicole Holofcener teamed up for Enough Said, a sharply-observed comedy that packed an emotion punch, in part for being the last role of the beloved James Gandolfini. But it was also, I believe, the most accessible film of Holofcener’s career. Until now. Her latest, You Hurt My Feelings, debuted at Sundance to positive reviews, including from both me and Cortland, and it also boasts the talents of Louis-Dreyfus who is funnier than ever.
As well she should be. You Hurt My Feelings feels very much like an extended episode of Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm, a brand of uncomfortable social humor that Louis-Dreyfus is very familiar with. She plays a married novelist whose life is turned upside down when she accidentally overhears her husband’s honest opinion of her work.
So yeah, it’s one of those situations that is very specific and yet very human. Nobody likes to be lied to, especially by the people we love and trust most. But do we want their honest thoughts, or do we want them just to be our cheerleaders?
Louis-Dreyfus is joined in the cast by Tobias Menzies,Tobias Menzies, David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, and Jeannie Berlin. The film was written and directed by Holofcener, her first film since 2018’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? She also co-wrote Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel.
You Hurt My Feelings opens in theaters on May 26th.
From acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener comes a sharply observed comedy about a novelist whose longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband give his honest reaction to her latest book. A film about trust, lies, and the things we say to the people we love most
