Not your typical High School set Romantic Comedy, (Someone Great) written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is focused on a group of late 20s friends who rally together for one amazing night in New York City to help their friend Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) pick up the pieces after she and her boyfriend of 9 years split up, when she lands her dream job across the country and Nate (said boyfriend) does not want to go long distance.
She enlists her bestfriends Erin and Blair to have an amazing night and forget about Nate but what was intended as a night of fun and a total loss of moral turns into a big night of revelation and realization and not just for Jenny (which is one of my favorite things about the movie) but for Erin and Blair as well. You see, unlike most RomComs where the friends of the lead just become decoration and at times poor plot devices, Erin and Blair are written in such a way that they have their own growing up to do as well.
Living a carefree life, as if she was still in her twenties, Erin (DeWanda Wise) is afraid to commit to a relationship which may otherwise be the real deal. Robinson also skillfully writes a lesbian character in Erin. Not just to be relevant and inclusive but really write a character with pain and trauma about their sexuality in the story.
Erin (Brittany Snow) on the other hand, is your typical type A, with her whole life planned out. She has a long time boring boyfriend but also has a secret on the side.
This is one of those films that would make you wish that you had those girlfriends you can really count on, like the kind who will bail you out in the office in the middle of the day, to say that your Aunt died (not true). Or the kind that will squeeze your nipples when you’re being a total ass. You know what I mean, incredibly brutally honest and talk about ‘pub regrowth’ and you get to drink together and smoke weed (and not just any weed, but Beyonce weed) together, those kinds of girlfriends.
When the film used Lorde’s “Supercut” as a track in a montage that showed the blossoming and withering of a relationship in a series of social media posts, photos, playlists, email, text messages, I was really impressed because I love Lorde and that song and it was done in such a telling and revealing way. Seeing it grow then watching it implode can make you so desolate, its like anyone who has had to go through a break up could relate at some point and that’s just how the movie starts.
We next see Jenny, hungover in her apartment in her panties and a shirt and this is where we see Robinson shine as a director. This scene is not supposed to show Jenny being “sexy” – she is anything but, with mascara running on her face and her hair, seemingly being unwashed. It’s very genuine because if girls had their way, they would just be in shirts and panties at home and it’s refreshing to see this on screen, without it being a supposed sexy scene with innuendos.
The trio go on a romp through New York, the very city where Jenny and Nate spent their nine years together, hence the numerous flashbacks all shot in that trendy neon haze of lights. Which sometimes you enjoy and sometimes you think is just too much. There are also those almost Broadway like numbers as Jenny goes on a ride down memory lane. It’s really up to you if it’s up to your taste or not but I for one appreciate the out of the box approach to it.
Jenny is a music critic and her dream job is at none other than as a writer (with her own team) at Rolling Stones, when I started blogging, I actually started writing about the local music scene, which is where I think I can relate to Jenny the most.
The big event where our girls plan on partying to forget all their woes? Neon Classic, an super hip music festival complete with secret headliners and line ups. I do miss going to go to music fests and gigs, which I had to set aside ( I won’t say give up, because I’m not giving it up) ever since Luke was born. I was able to relate to these aspects of Jenny’s characters more than having these wonderful girlfriends that you share everything with. I don’t know, I guess I was never that kind of girl and the closest to a best friend that I have, I married. Which is also the appeal of these films to me. If you don’t have it, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, even if it means just enjoying it on the screen.
Being a film that has its characters with a musical background, of course they had to have a good curated music and my top picks would be (of course) Lorde’s Supercut and Saturdays by Twin Shadow, Selena’s Dreaming About You and Me is a bonus.
A Romantic Comedy for the Titas with a slightly more mature content. It’s a great breakup Movie, that’s also about friendship and growing Up and going into your 30s.
7/10 “Someone Great” is already streaming on Netflix.