Murder comedy’s appeal is difficult to ‘Understand’
Forgive me if I don’t understand “I Don’t Understand You.” Perhaps it’s just my pragmatism born of ASD, but this alleged comedy starring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells left me dumbfounded by not just its gyrating tonal issues but also its full-on embrace of the “Ugly American” stereotype.
What begins as a sweet exploration of a gay couple’s touching plea to become parents to a newborn, jarringly devolves into a macabre killing spree. In a twisted way, the slaughter is defensible in the minds of the filmmakers because our wannabe dads are American and their innocent victims are Italian. Yes, I get that this is an absurdist black farce attempting to satirize how American tourists tend to feel inconvenienced by Europeans speaking their native language in their own countries. But it’s executed so flippantly that the play for laughs consistently lands with a thud.
Blame that on the writing-directing team of Brian Crano (“Permission”) and his husband, actor David Joseph Craig. It’s logical to assume that Kroll’s Dom and Rannell’s Cole are their surrogates in what’s meant to be an ode to their loving marriage. And it works splendidly at first, with Dom and Cole exhausting several amusing takes before recording the perfect video to convince Amanda Seyfried’s Candice that they are the ideal choice to adopt the baby she’s financially incapable of raising.
The story begins to sputter slightly when Dom and Cole fly to Rome for the dual purpose of celebrating their 10th anniversary and enjoying a last fling before settling into what they pray will be parenthood. During dinner with Daniele (Paolo Romano), an old pal of Dom’s father, the couple is gifted a special treat: an anniversary feast at the home of a renowned chef (Nunzia Schiano) in the rural enclave of Orvieto. En route, the spouses take a wrong turn into what can best be described as “The Twilight Zone.”
What ensues is an increasingly outlandish series of events that could not be more contrived, resulting in a number of “accidental” deaths exacerbated by an insurmountable language barrier. A particularly offensive example of this is a knife-wielding character (Morgan Spector) excitedly repeating in broken English, “You’re going to be dad!” Of course, the imbecilic Americans interpret the chant as “You’re going to be DEAD!” What choice do they have but to stab their “assailant” in the jugular?
Are you laughing yet? At least that “gag” works better than the one in which the vegetarian Cole is forced to sink his teeth into a slice of pizza topped with horse-meat sausage. To that, I say neigh. Ditto for the bit in which the boys repeatedly shatter the bones of an elderly person requiring CPR. And what could be more comical than an old man in an iron lung?
If demonstrating rampant stupidity was the goal, Crano and Craig achieve it. And as the eye rolls increase, so does the frustration with the nasty vibe they project, using impending parenthood as justification for the mounting death toll. So what if lives are snuffed out, as long as the two Americans are free to experience the idyllic family life they always dreamed about?
Wasted amid this nihilistic nonsense are two superior performances by Kroll and Rannells. They are well matched, displaying potent chemistry while effortlessly selling the idea that Dom and Cole are completely devoted to each other, despite the occasional spat over who dealt the fatal blow to whom. Even in the wake of the vast carnage they inflict, Dom and Cole remain extremely likable. No small feat. Regrettably, Crano and Craig fail their two stars, saddling them with a script that grows clunkier and more preposterous as it advances toward a wholly unsatisfying ending.
It’s a classic case of buyer beware. If a movie arrives bearing a title as bland and uninspired as “I Don’t Understand You,” it’s a good bet that the product is going to be shoddy. In this case, it’s an utter disaster. In any language! Capisce?
Movie review
I Don’t Understand You
Rated: Bloody violence and language
Cast: Nick Kroll, Andrew Rannells, Amanda Seyfried, Morgan Spector and Nunzia Schiano
Directors: David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano
Writers: David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano
Runtime: 96 minutes
Where: In theaters June 6
Grade: C-
