SOMEONE GREAT (2019)

Written & Directed By: Jennifer Kaytin Johnson 
Cinematography: Autumn Eakin 
Editor: Mollie Goldstein & Jeffrey Wolf 

Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise, Lakeith Stansfield, Michelle Buteau, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Rupaul, Rosario Dawson, Jaboukie Young-White, Questlove, Jesse Reyez 

After a devastating break up on the eve of her cross-country move, Jenny enjoys one last NYC adventure with her two best pals. Someone Great is a romantic comedy about love, loss, growth and the everlasting bond of female friendship.

This film just feels annoying and cloying. The characters all feel draining. The movie feels too busy trying to be cool and fit in anything hip into it. So while talking about love feels dishonest thoroughout. As it tries to represent every type of modern relationships.

The films does provide a good soundtrack throughout and a few laughs as well as the director manages to do a lot with a little.

So while It’s nice to see a minority and colorful couple in a romantic comedy that actually has sexy in it yet the movie is not defined by it. So it leaves a certain depth while pretending to be a youthful comedy that speaks pop culture that tries to create It’s Own language and comes off as pretentious. Just as the characters as they come off overconfident though they have done nothing to deserve it earn it to the audience. Never work towards it and they like the rest of the film feel like they are faking the funk.

It’s also Another film where a woman is destroyed by a break-up and can do nothing else but drink and get high yet can’t seem to come to grips or just get over it normally.

It’s nice to see Lakeith Stansfield in more a leading romantic role but he then comes off as a romantic phantom that haunts the main character similar to his role in THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES

The film allows star Gina Rodriguez’s characters friends to be diverse to seem like it more appeals to a bigger and crossover audience.

Though it feels like a spoof almost for all the millennial types who come off more as comedic extremes and have a familiarity. Like a more universal episode of GIRLS.

Drugs are treated like booze so free and open. The hipsters as they seem to know everyone in the know.

Each character seems scared to grown up and accept responsibility using their youth and cool factor as an avoidance (except the already responsible character who learns to loosen up and have so much definition in all aspects of her life) with the main character moving away to live their dream and have success in her career makes them realize they have to take ownership of the future.

It feels like one of those kooky comedies centered around relationships in the wake of SHE’S ALL THAT which seemed to have Freddie Prinze Jr. in them so he became a representative of what quality and type of film you were getting. Only here we have a movie with more color and Rated R. While allowing for a focus on supporting characters who are generally more interesting than the leads.

This film usually makes nice guys as usual into either boring or over the top annoying with little personality that makes cheating with a bad boy ok as eventually the break up will happen and when the guy agrees to the break up that guilt is relieved though still cheated l. Why must the nice guy always be treated as lame but the bad boy always seems to win or get what they want or the one who got away becoming almost mythical.

It just feels more manufactured then honest. More aimed at an audience while trying to appear artistic and some depth. Where it must make references even when not necessary. And strategically typical to a certain degree of new modern archetypes Of what others see themselves as or left to be.

It just feels white washed to a degree is this what it has come too at least an update definitely made for a female audience complete with montage and classic sing along that at least ends rather quickly.

Then the end of act 2 fight with friends comes off more fake. As eventually all the characters get off the book way too easily especially for their immaturity. Obviously this movie is more made for a younger audience.

Though Gina Rodriguez's character eventual confession feels like the only true and real moment of the film. Next to some of the Romance and flashback scenes so basically the third act is the only time the film feels anywhere close to honest. Anytime the camera is off the main couple the movie comes off a bit more bearable

GRADE: F