7/10
Enjoyable film - to please or not to please that is the ?
26 June 2023
You Hurt My Feelings (2023) My Rating 7/10 In Cinemas You Hurt My Feelings is an Independent film that had its premiere in January 2023 at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival where it was received positively by most critics.

There's more to the plot of this amusing well written movie I think than meets the eye at first .

It's basically about how most of us are all guilty of people pleasing either for the approval of others or just to be nice and well mannered so our fragile egos are rewarded with praise.

Is it better to be scrupulously honest in conveying our opinions of our partners or friends talents , taste and accomplishments or should we give high praise to support their endeavours even if we really think that the subject or achievement that they're seeking our approval of in reality is crap.

Both leads are very appealing and well cast Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Beth who is married to Don played by Tobias Menzies. Beth and Don are an average New York professional couple married for 20 years with a young adult son named Elliott also very well played by Owen Teague.

Beth is a published author and literary teacher with one moderate success and Don is a therapist whose clients aren't very happy with his counselling sessions.

Their marriage is obviously very co dependent as their son Elliott points out to them when observing his parents sharing the same lunch box and ice cream together during a picnic in the park.

Beth's confidence and trust is shattered when she accidentally overhears her husband discussing her new book in a Department store with her actor brother in law Mark played by so well by Arian Moayed.

Don is heard saying he really hates her new book and as much as Beth's sister played by Michaela Watkins tries to smooth things over the situation gets worse for both couples.

I particularly like the few scenes that Jeannie Berlin who plays Georgia Beth's mother in the film her scene in the doctor's surgery is a delight .

In real life, the actors are 11 years apart in age but are so believable as mother and daughter.

You Hurt My Feelings is another one of those New York State of mind stories that has humorous and dramatic moments.

I thought it very well acted by the entire cast and well written and Directed by Nicole Holofcener who in an interview said that she was inspired to write the story after a lifetime of being vulnerable to other people's opinions and wondering if people were lying to her about her work .

Wondering if she could cope when they don't lie as her work is so autobiographical and could she also live with the possibility that they don't get it, or like it, and still love me? But yeah, sometimes I can cope with it well, and sometimes I can't. I still want approval, of course. Don't we all?"
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