Movies

In ‘I Don’t Understand You,’ adoption hopefuls stumble into comic violence

BBG News

The opening of “I Don’t Understand You,” a comedy by Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig, beautifully conveys an emotional appeal. The well-intentioned, affluent gay couple Dom and Cole (played by Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells) are earnestly trying to adopt a baby. As they record a video to present themselves as potential parents to an anonymous mother, you can’t help but root for them. It’s a poignant, awkwardly funny scene that leaves you questioning their sincerity without desperation, and their charm without being too edgy. Through their pauses and stumbles, they humorously express their frustrations about the process.

What level of difficulty is required for consenting adults in a warm, committed relationship to begin a family? This topic is explored with a touch of biting humor in the story “I Don’t Understand You,” as it sends Dom and Cole on a sun-kissed, picturesque Italy trip for their anniversary. However, fate seems to have other plans, as they find themselves entangled in a string of calamitous incidents that one might argue are more suited to the idea of a Patricia Highsmith novel than an idyllic getaway.

Movies

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but share my excitement about ‘I Don’t Understand You,’ a hilarious vacation-gone-awry comedy that Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig brought to life. Being adoptees themselves, they skillfully wove their personal experiences into the storyline. This heartfelt yet humorous flick features none other than Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells in starring roles.

Shortly after arriving in Rome, they receive heartening news that a sympathetic pregnant woman named Candace (portrayed by Amanda Seyfried through video call) is moved by their tale, as her feelings for them mirror her aspirations for her child. However, their optimism is tempered with apprehension – a familiar mix of anxiety that gay men like Dom and Cole often experience due to everyday microaggressions, coupled with unease as foreign tourists who are not fluent in the language and urban dwellers who may find navigating another country’s less-traveled areas at night challenging.

The final worry sets off their harrowing experience when the couple’s rental car becomes stuck on a secluded road heading towards a distant farmhouse, where they have booked for an anniversary dinner. Anxiety starts to rise. The abrupt and irascible local who appears does little to alleviate their fear that danger lurks nearby. However, this dread is not fully realized when they finally arrive at the rustic abode of retired restaurateur Francesca (a genuine Eleonora Romandini), a chatty individual eager to prepare a festive candlelit meal for her lone guests.

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The writer-directors are a real-life couple who adopted a child, giving us a highly personalized glimpse into the extreme challenges of fatherhood just before parenthood. It’s refreshing that they chose to express their experience and emotions through a humorous horror-comedy genre instead of another serious social drama focusing on similar issues. (Amanda Knox is also a co-producer, and you’ll see why when the Italian legal system gets involved.)

Similar to how the beginning suggests promise for its potential fathers-to-be, the aim was for “I Don’t Understand You” to perfectly capture its descent, but it falls short, despite being appealing. However, the sudden shift towards dark humor involving body counts and graphic violence became too intense for Crano and Craig to successfully transform into a comedy that explores perception and privilege.

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2025-06-07 01:31

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