Someone Great Movie Review

The following is a movie review “Someone Great” by Marc Primo.

Release date: 19 April 2019 (USA)

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Language: English

Production Companies: Feigco Entertainment, Likely Story, I Can & I Will Productions

Producers: Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Anthony Bregman, Peter Cron, Gina Rodriguez

Netflix’s new romantic comedy, Someone Great, might sound like a chick-flick, but hey, it’s one rom-com that even guys will enjoy. Set in ever-effervescent New York City as music writer Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) spends her last days, both in the Big Apple and as the significant other in a long-term relationship, the movie offers a glimpse into the ups and downs of what great relationships could’ve, would’ve, and should’ve been made of.

Jenny finds herself looking for outlets in the wrong places with BFFs Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow) after calling it quits with her boyfriend Nate (Lakeith Stanfield). The film then takes us to flashbacks of how Jenny and Nate met and fell in love and eventually experience troubles, while allowing us to poke our noses in the personal lives of both Erin and Blair. Lesbian Erin struggles to fit into her adult life and is terrified of entering a serious relationship with her current love interest, Leah (Rebecca Naomi Jones), while Blair takes it upon herself to be the voice of reason among the trio, despite nurturing her suppressed bad side.

Marking the debut of writer-director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, the film’s ‘day in the life’ format is a tricky balancing act between amusing and heartwarming situations amid a rather sad plot. Female audiences will be able to relate to how the friends deal with their respective situations in this one. Scenes like Jenny suddenly falling into a musical trance singing Selena’s “Dreaming Of You” in a supermarket with an angry clerk, or Blair throwing caution to the wind as she gets high are both hilarious and true to life.

The film also gets a boost from veteran actors like Rosario Dawson and RuPaul, playing important roles albeit with little screen time. The chemistry between Rodriguez and Stanfield during the flashbacks is as close to how relationships are in real life, sparing audiences from tired old cliches for the sake of selling out.

Rodriguez stands out with her effective combination of drama and comedy. Her character serves as the focal point on which every twist and turn occurs, holding scenes together into a coherent yet multi-faceted flow of events. There is no shortage of character development as we learn from the flashbacks to how she handles her present day self. Fortunately, it’s not difficult at all to grow with her.

One thing we learn from the movie is the importance of friendship and how that too can pose some challenges. As a whole, Someone Great pulls this off by weaving a string of well-written sketches that invites audiences to be a part of the trio’s world. Early on, cynical viewers will know where the story is going, but just might decide to stick it out with the girls through the end of their journey. As interesting as millennial girls are these days, the team of Rodriguez, Wise, and Snow succeed in drawing a certain sentimentality that even older generations can relate to.

But as mentioned earlier, Someone Great is also for men who nurture true relationships. It tackles the difficulties that couples go through and presents how men could react when fighting for their significant other despite insecurities. Single individuals may also learn a lot from the film as it celebrates freedom and self-worth. Instead of opting for the ‘happy ever after’ ending we are all used to, Robinson encourages the audiences to cherish the journey of past and present, and find their own strengths as they move on into the future.

Moviegoers are in for a fresh take in Someone Great, as it celebrates girl power without turning a blind eye to the challenging decisions they often face. While it’s no game-changer, it sure earns viewers’ respect by keeping it real.

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