The big question with “I Don’t Understand You†is “when did it go wrong?â€
Celebrating their 10th anniversary in Italy, a gay couple (played by Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells) agree to have dinner at an out-of-the-way home. It’s raining and, sure enough, they don’t stay on a main road. (Problem No. 1?)
Andrew Rannells, left, and Nick Kroll who play a couple vacationing in Italy in "I Don't Understand You."Â
They get stuck in mud. (Problem No. 2?) And don’t know where to turn for help. Luckily, a local picks them up. (Problem No. 3?) And he takes them to a home, which just happens to be the place where they were going to eat. The hostess is gracious and eager to serve an authentic meal (even though one of the visitors is vegetarian. (Problem No. 4?). Then, some unfortunate accidents go down and it appears the Americans are going to be charged with murder.
Rather than call authorities, they try to cover and soon, all hell breaks loose.
People are also reading…
For a comedy, circumstances certainly turn dark. There are moments in the film, directed by David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano, when you don’t know if it’s a Netflix documentary or a half-hearted comedy.
Sioux City Journal entertainment editor Bruce Miller talks with David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano, the directors of "I Don't Understand You."
Borrowing bits from films like “The Out-of-Towners,†Craig and Crano get laughs out of Morgan Spector (as the Italian Massimo) and the kindly chef. But by using subtitles, they don’t really let you feel like you’re in the Americans’ shoes. Cutting some of them might have provided sympathy for the visitors.
Rannells and Krull are easy companions. When talk turns to adopting a child, the film’s focus gets a bit muddled, but Amanda Seyfried makes a cameo that pushes its importance.
When that wrinkle enters the picture, it’d seem likely that the Americans might throw themselves on the mercy of whatever court is in charge. Instead, they double down and try to hide the drawbacks to their visit.
Where “I Don’t Understand You†primarily succeeds is its resolution. You won’t believe how they maneuver the situation, or the authorities involved. The film’s final minutes are among its best.
Andrew Rannells, left, and Nick Kroll star in "I Don't Understand You."Â
More one-liners from Kroll and Rannells could have set this up for the kind of laughs that “Knives Out†mined.
It’s in the same ballpark. It just doesn’t connect as often.
The unheralded home run is in depicting the couple as a loving pair who will do anything to protect the other. Same-sex couples may be a hot-button issue for television talk shows, but this says they're anything but. Kudos to the directors.
Knives, however, may not be as forgiving.
