“Somebody I Used to Know” is a romantic comedy directed by Dave Franco, starring his wife Alison Brie, Jay Ellis and Kiersey Clemons. I was lucky enough to attend a screening of the film before it was officially released Feb. 10 on Amazon Prime, and I took part in a roundtable interview with Franco and Brie, attended by a group of student journalists from local universities in the Pennsylvania area.
Franco is recognizable for his hilarious performances in hit comedies such as “Neighbors 2,” “Dayshift” and “21 Jump Street.” At the roundtable he spoke about his transition from acting on screen to directing his own big budget projects. He explained that his dissatisfaction for some of the projects he worked on fueled his passion to become a director, and discussed his hesitancy to direct until he mustered up the courage to ignore naysayers and just make what he wanted.
The movie, with a screenplay written by Franco and Brie, opens with Ally, played by Brie, a hard working TV producer traveling back to her hometown after losing her job. She reconnects with her ex-fiance Sean, played by Ellis, when she randomly runs into him at a bar, only to discover that he’s getting married to another woman, Cassidy, played by Clemons. Ally hatches a scheme to split the two lovebirds apart so she can take Sean all for herself. Meanwhile, Cassidy wants to be the lead singer of her rock band, but Sean doesn’t want her to go through with her dream because he thinks it might jeopardize their relationship.
Brie was a stand out with her performance as Ally. Her character carried a truckload of charisma and perfectly represented envious individuals who yearn for the attention of someone they love. Not to mention, Brie’s comedic timing is absolutely golden, both in the movie and in person; she had the entire table laughing out loud during the interview.
Near the end of the roundtable, I asked Franco and Brie what they thought the theme of the film was. Brie says the film centers around “tapping back into what brings you joy in your life.”
I couldn’t agree more with Brie’s answer. “Somebody I Used to Know” is a well-written rom-com about people reconnecting with their hopes and dreams after years of avoiding them. The character-driven story is chocked full of well-written punchlines, and there’s a good amount of laughter (and nudity) to be had throughout the film’s two-hour runtime. Ultimately, the film is a fun coming-of-age rom-com sure to please anyone looking for a film with heart-warming laughter. I’m glad to have been given the opportunity to see the film on the big screen and talk to Franco and Brie about their vision. This film gave Franco the chance to show off his directorial talent, and I will definitely make sure to keep an eye out for more of Franco’s and Brie’s projects in the future. Rating: 9.1/10.
