Rating: 2.5/5
Hey babes! You know what time it is! It’s #wineoclock, where we curl up on the couch, polish off a bottle of wine, and watch a delicious rom-com.
Today’s choice is Somebody I Used to Know, directed by Dave Franco and starring his more talented wife, Allison Brie. The two also wrote the script together! #couplesgoals
Allison Brie plays Ally, a documentarian turned showrunner for a reality show called Dessert Island. Once all the rave, the ratings have been tanking. After one more brutal interview where she makes a contestant cry, she gets a call saying they canceled the show.
To readjust, she returns to her hometown of Leavenworth, Washington — a totally kitschy Bavarian town that gets no feature beyond its name.
She hits up the local dive bar, and who walks in? It’s the one who got away, Sean (Jay Ellis). Really, she got away — they broke up when she pursued her career in LA, leaving Sean feeling abandoned.
For a guy who doesn’t know his birth parents, that’s a #yikes!
Still, the two spend some time together. Sean and Ally even kiss! When Ally tries to seal the deal and hit that, though, Sean is dodgy.
She does the sensible thing and tracks him down. When she gets to his place, his mom Jojo (Olga Merediz) is there! And the entire family! And Sean’s fiance, Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons)! Because this is a rehearsal dinner!
Jojo tries to wrangle Ally into being the videographer for the wedding. Her son, Jeremy (Haley Joel Osment), was going to do it, but Jojo thinks he’s too ___ to do it.
Ally sees an opportunity to weasel back into Sean’s life.
Don’t think Cassidy isn’t onto Ally’s schemes. Since this is a rom-com, don’t expect them to talk it out like adults. It’s time to get #bitchy!
Ally is designed to be unlikeable, so film bros — you aren’t going to want to fuck her in this movie! Like a character written for a story, she has an arc, so if you stick around long enough, you might see her change. And if that’s not enough, you might get to see her #boobs. Honest!
Allison Brie and Jay Ellis have… what’s the opposite of chemistry? Jay Ellis has a beautiful smile and…
Danny Pudi and Allison Brie have chemistry. If Hollywood weren’t cowards, they would be the love interests.
Kiersey Clemons is great in this. She nails the tone. She also could have played the ex — she has chemistry with everyone.
Once the movie stops being cynical and touches its themes, it’s an enjoyable and thoughtful film.
Also wine helps! #wineoclock
It’s a drunk 3, a sober 2.5!
Stray Thoughts / Observations
- I thought Evan Jonigkeit was PewDiePie
- She boards a plane. A baby cries. Her cat pukes and shits. She tries to sneak over the baby and parents, and pours puke and shit all over them.
- Her mom is fucking her third-grade teacher now.
- Pudi plays a guy named Benny with a jean jacket.
- A white family listening to Return of the Mack at the family gathering is fucked up!
- Cassidy’s band sucks ass. It makes sense they’re local. Touring with Sleater-Kinney???
- It was so close to being gay!
- Ending your movie with Semi-Charmed Life is unfair.