Review by Ben Murchison
There is nothing unique about a girls night out film, even one packaged within a romantic comedy, but Someone Great isn’t that. Well it is, but it does those things really well, and the love is centered around a group of girlfriends supporting each other through a transitional period in each of their lives, while concurrently showing the heartache that comes with the ending of a relationship.
Netflix landed the film debut of writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, and no film lives more unapologetically in the now than this one. Characters reference the times up movement, Lady Bird, discuss what Harry Potter house they are, and even hit the Juul. Those kinds of pop culture references hit perfectly today, as does the decision to feature so much diversity within the trio of girls and the rest of the cast all the way down to some fun supporting appearances by the hilarious Jaboukie Young-White, RuPaul, Peter Vack, and Rosario Dawson among others.
The story really picks up as Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) wakes up the morning after a devastating breakup with her boyfriend since college Nate (LaKeith Stanfield). The relationship seems to have come to a head after Jenny accepts her dream job as a music journalist with Rolling Stone, which will require her to relocate from New York City to San Francisco. Jenny reaches out to her best friends Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow) to help distract her with copious amounts of drugs and alcohol and a quest for tickets to attend the Neon Classic music festival and have one last epic night together before she leaves.
Rather than condense nearly a decade of a relationship into a few minutes of screen time and ask you to care about Nate or the loss that Jenny is dealing with, the film beautifully weaves various snippets of their time together into the story through flashbacks that are unexpectedly triggered by songs, places and events that take Jenny by surprise much like they would in real life. Gradually throughout the story you grow to appreciate the significance of their relationship more and feel the weight of its end. If it is something that you have experienced yourself, then you are likely to appreciate how authentic it feels in the most excruciating way.
As mentioned, the real love story in the film is between Jenny and her friends. The dialogue, and the way characters interact with each other is what makes this film so entertaining. You genuinely accept that this group are best friends, have inside jokes and call each other on their bullshit. It’s easy to associate each of them with someone that you know, you want these girls to be your friends. Very little actually happens in the film. The quest to find tickets to the event doesn’t turn into a Harold and Kumar situation where crazy events keep happening to the characters. Everything that takes place is entirely feasible, and instead of relying on slapstick or laugh-out-loud moments, the best elements come from witty dialogue, and that helps it bounce from funny lighthearted banter, to brutally honest raw emotion.
Rodriguez has to carry most of the heavier moments along with Stanfield, and she is impressive throughout, but all three get their own storylines to work through as they deal with the pressures that people feel as they edge closer to their thirties. Erin seems to be in love with her girlfriend Leah (Rebecca Naomi Jones), but something is holding her back from admitting it to herself let alone Leah. Blair seems to have checked out of her relationship with her boyfriend Will (Alex Moffat) long ago but is determined to stick to her plan of being married before thirty. While her storylines were the least enjoyable, Snow still did “Bad Blair” well, and if you aren’t as familiar with Wise before seeing her here, you may find yourself seeking out more of her projects because she is a force.
While the dialogue alone would be enough to make the film work, the soundtrack and cinematography give it a very fun and specific vibe which in turn gives the audience a certain feeling that will carry on past the end credits. Since Jenny writes about music, it only makes sense that the soundtrack that follows the trio around the city would be something special.
Someone Great features music from Lorde, Blood Orange, Selena and so many more. Questlove makes an appearance, as does Jessie Reyez who will bring the water works for many when her song “Great One” drops. A getting-ready montage featuring them all dancing along to “The Jump Off” fits perfectly, and extra points have to be awarded for a scene with Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts.”
That tremendous soundtrack feeds off of the beautiful shots that cinematographer Autumn Eakin helps to capture. New York City stars as always, but the lighting, the colors, and in some cases utterly amazing choices really connect. A scene of Jenny looking out the window of a car passing by a street that she shared so many memories with Nate, and watching each of them pass her by was special.
Someone Great lives comfortably in the moment, and that makes it more poignant to anyone that can make a connection and see themselves in the characters and the emotions that are on display. Anyone likely to watch the film can appreciate its comedic element and pick something from it that they connect with, and if they can connect with multiple elements it’s destined to become rewatchable.
Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10
