Una antigua conocida

Hey, Streamers! It's mid-February, and it seems you either watch romantic comedies or you're anticipating the Big Game. For those who aren't into the latter, here's some more counterprogramming courtesy of Prime Video and the minds of Dave Franco and Alison Brie, Somebody I Used to Know. It's a "romantic" comedy involving wedding shenanigans, which we all love. Am I right??? Here's whether you should know this somebody.

Dave Franco directs the screenplay he wrote with his wife and the movie's star, Alison Brie. Somebody I Used to Know takes place over a few days in Leavenworth, Washington when Ally (Brie) returns to her mother's home after her reality television show was canceled. While in town on day one, Ally predictably runs into her old flame, Sean (Jay Ellis), after ten years; and they seem to pick up right where they left off. Sean, of course, is hiding the big news of his impending wedding, which leads Ally to go full-on Julianne Potter (My Best Friend's Wedding reference). Wedding sabotage hijinks ensue.

This storyline is so tiresome. How many times do we have to see a woman, usually, attempt to sabotage her ex's wedding? Why would anyone think that's going to turn out good for you in the end? Why would you even want someone who was easily manipulated by you? Is that satisfying? I have so many questions for this played-out genre.

Now, Somebody I Used to Know steps right into all of the problems with this genre of romantic comedy. It is predictable and unoriginal. In fact, it borrows so heavily from My Best Friend's Wedding that I am now wondering if that was Franco and Brie's objective. It is a shame that this movie feels so derivative because Alison Brie is generally a likeable screen presence. You can easily root for the characters she plays, even someone who is being so manipulative. The one good thing that Franco and Brie have added to this movie is a theme about self-empowerment. The screenplay revisits ideas about making oneself happy, and it is impactful at times. I wish those ideas had been more in the forefront than the wedding sabotage.

There really isn't much else here. There's a nice sing-along to look forward to. Haley Joel Osment and Danny Pudi get some good moments, but Osment, in particular, is so unnecessary. That's all really. Eh. *Shrug*

Ultimately, Somebody I Used to Know is fine but too derivative, unoriginal and predictable to really be interesting. While the movie hints at other meaningful themes, it settles with the cliches of wedding sabotage movies to be its driving force. That's pretty disappointing. Alison Brie is a pleasant on-screen presence and Haley Joel Osment gets some daffy moments. I'd only suggest a handful of popcorn for this if you need something to fill the time while waiting for Rihanna's halftime show.

As a principal character pointed out with an on-the-nose observation in an early scene, this 2023 romcom felt like a familiar rehash of the Julia Roberts 1997 vehicle, "My Best Friend's Wedding". This time, Ally, a reality show producer faces a career crisis and comes home to rural Washington to connect with her old flame Sean from a decade ago only to discover he's getting married to a younger woman Cassidy who is facing her own challenges in abandoning her burgeoning rock music career for marriage. Showing her signature spunk with comic aplomb as Ally, Alison Brie co-wrote the screenplay with her husband Dave Franco who directed. Despite some sharp jabs at reality TV at the outset, their plot follows a predictable path with the characters acting just as you'd expect in their respective predicaments. Jay Ellis is given little to do but act moony or confused as Sean. Kiersey Clemons fares better as Cassidy who recognizes her affinity with Ally. Julie Hagerty displays her trademark ditziness as Ally's sexually active mom, while a still recognizable Haley Joel Osment energetically plays a family friend who is an irritating pop culture geek.

Dave Franco's sophomore directorial has a definite flow and some interestingly grey-shaded protagonists. Where it doesn't stick is in its first act (the whole "Do I hate my job?" aspect isn't called out well enough) and the somewhat rushed finale, with everything getting sorted out so easily. The middle section, however, had me completely invested. The writing by Dave and Alison tries hard not to succumb to some derivative tropes of the steal-your-guy genre but it ends up doing just that. That said, the film does offer some moments of shine as the leads are well-written and performed, and even some of the supporting cast (featuring the likes of Danny Pudi and Julie Hagerty) adds on. To brand this film an all-out romantic comedy isn't exactly correct - it's more of a romantic drama with bits of organic humour added unevenly.

This one's really weird with a pretty predictable storyline. I think this is the first movie where the wronged party (the fiancee) literally provides the so-called heroine with ALL of the ammunition to use against her. Who does that?! While this one has shades of My Best Friend's Wedding, the big difference is that you really don't get invested in any of the characters because none of them are likeable. I just didn't feel the love with any part of this triangle. It was all overly contrived. It's also extremely uncomfortable how the fiance has told EVERYBODY in town her business in the short 6 months she's dated this guy and they're all passing it around like party favors on the eve of the wedding. Every time we see the ex-girlfriend stalking the couple like chewed up, spit out karmic gum on a shoe while pretending to be a videographer, it makes less and less sense. If the groom didn't get rid of her, the bride-to-be should have made it clear that she was NOT welcomed. Note to anyone confused: You should NOT be at your ex's wedding as a single. That's not about insecurity, it's about the energy especially when she looks like a thirsty stripper in every scene. Even a couple of so-called emotional scenes can't save this one. And why was the lesbian hint thrown in?? Too much stuff in the soup without enough quality ingredients. On the bright side, it is a little bit better than Shotgun Wedding. Not by much though.

This is a sweet little movie. I think it just started playing on Prime and Alison Brie pulled me in. All the acting is good here. The dialogue is more realistic than the usual rom-com, and I didn't need to suspend disbelief as much as I usually do in this genre. It really shouldn't even go in the rom com bucket but marketing didn't know how else to sell it. Forget the labels. Yes, there's a my-best-friend's-wedding vibe, but, in a moment of self awareness, this is even addressed in a joke. The characters are likable, even the slightly shady Sean. Ally and Cassidy have authentic exchanges as two women supposedly at odds, but finding a lot of commonality. I love a coming-to-mutual respect scene topped off with a celebratory streaking! I was so pleasantly surprised by this one, it makes me wonder, why the other low ratings? Sure, some of these plot points are familiar. Yes, trying to break up a wedding last minute is cringy, but we're living in a Fast n Furious franchise world here. I don't care if we can go watch cars fly... I'm watching brain cells fly right outta my head with those ones. Franco and Brie's movie is for fun and ultimately has a great message. A sweet little movie a try next time you could use a feel good moment.