Certificate: 15 (strong nudity, language, sex, infrequent drug misuse). Running Time: 106 mins. UK Distributor: Prime Video
WHO’S IN IT?
Alison Brie, Jay Ellis, Kiersey Clemons, Julie Hagerty, Haley Joel Osment, Amy Sedaris, Danny Pudi, Zoë Chao, Evan Jonigkeit, Olga Merediz, Ayden Mayeri, Kelvin Yu
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Dave Franco (director, writer), Alison Brie (writer), Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Michael Heimler, Leigh Kittay, Isaac Klausner and Ben Stillman (producers), Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans (composers), Brian Lannin (cinematographer), Ernie Gilbert (editor)
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A run-in with her ex (Ellis) causes a workaholic (Brie) to reassess her life…
WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW?
No, Somebody I Used To Know isn’t a feature-length adaptation of the hit 2012 song by Gotye (whatever happened to that guy, anyway?). It is, however, a gentle and occasionally rather sweet dramady from director and co-writer Dave Franco that quickly wins you over with its mature approach to a slightly archaic rom-com template which, while imperfect, is better than some of the other streaming rom-com options this Valentine’s Day.
The film stars Alison Brie (who also co-wrote the film with real-life husband Franco) as Ally, a dedicated reality TV showrunner who is left unfulfilled when her show is abruptly cancelled. She decides to find some quiet time by retreating back to her hometown in Leavenworth, Washington, which she hasn’t visited for some years, to stay with her mother (Julie Hagerty). There, she happens to run into her ex Sean (Jay Ellis) and they seemingly rekindle their spark over the following night – only for Ally to later discover that Sean is about to get married to a young woman named Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons), whose free spirit and passion for pursuing her own interests greatly reminds Ally of her own past self. Nonetheless, Ally decides to try and break up the soon-to-be-wed couple, but quickly finds herself caught between a genuine admiration for them and her own selfish desires.
On paper, Somebody I Used To Know seems like a slightly more modern riff on My Best Friend’s Wedding, and in some ways it is, but Franco’s film conveys enough of its own distinct personality to separate itself from the Julia Roberts classic. Much of it comes from his and Brie’s writing, which spends a decent amount of time with these characters and allows many of their strengths, flaws, and other eccentricities to feel natural without succumbing to easy schmaltz or manipulation. Their arcs are well-paced, if sometimes fairly obvious, but the script refreshingly makes no secret that these are deeply flawed human beings who happen to be working out their own issues, and are quick to realise when they’ve gone too far in their actions. Even when that is the case, you do still enjoy hanging around these people, because they are deliberately humanised in a script that could have very easily left them as one-note caricatures.
It’s a well-acted film as well, with Brie baring all (quite literally in a couple of key scenes) in a much more vulnerable role than she’s perhaps used to playing, and she shares some nice moments with Jay Ellis who equally has a nice screen presence. Some stand-out supporting turns from Brie’s Community co-star Danny Pudi and Haley Joel Osment, the latter having fun as a man-child with parental responsibilities, get a few good laughs, but the clear MVP is Kiersey Clemons, who takes what is basically the Cameron Diaz role in My Best Friend’s Wedding and turns it into something that’s surprisingly layered and thoughtful, which again makes her potentially black-and-white third-wheel archetype a lot more interesting to watch.
The film does, however, often struggle to maintain a consistent focus on a number of intriguing plot points, many of which are dropped almost as soon as they’re brought up. There’s a major thread involving the estranged parents of Clemons’ Cassidy, which introduces some rather striking aspects about her character that are never really addressed, and feels as though there are some deleted scenes which tie up this strand better than how it is in the actual movie, where it is pretty much forgotten immediately. Furthermore, as fun as some of the supporting characters are, there are large chunks that go by without them, making you wonder what their ultimate point in the story was. Case in point, Julie Hagerty comes into the movie (again, quite literally; her first scene in the movie is her being pleasured by her new lover) only to then be side-lined for most of the rest of the movie, until she serves an ultimate purpose in the journey of Brie’s Ally. That is obviously intentional, because that whole character arc has to do with Ally being more open to her mother, but the irony is that by having her disappear for most of the movie, to where you honestly forget that she’s even in it, the intended dramatic climax that she is a big part of doesn’t quite land due to her prolonged absence.
While it isn’t as tightly focused as it perhaps should be, Somebody I Used To Know is a decent enough play on classic formula that gets by on some easy charm and refreshing thoughtfulness – you won’t regret knowing it for this Valentine’s Day.
SO, TO SUM UP…
Somebody I Used To Know is a decent modern take on the familiar My Best Friend’s Wedding formula, which gets by with a thoughtful script co-written by director Dave Franco, and some strong performances by the likes of co-writer Alison Brie and Kiersey Clemons, but lacks a strong focus on some of the more intriguing developments to feel wholly satisfying.
