Somebody I Used to Know

I heard about this and was interested for a couple of reasons: I enjoy Alison Brie as an actor, I thought she was fun in the rom-com Sleeping With Other People, and the basic concept -- a driven careerist finds herself let down by her career, goes home, reconnects with an ex, and starts to wonder if she made the right choices -- sounded good enough. Maybe a bit cliche, but the other factors were carrying things for me. As it turns out, Somebody I Used To Know is not what it seems. It's not a rom-com at all, and it is most definitely not interested in formula. Somebody is more of a story of self-discovery. Alison's Allie goes home after a career low-point (in a job she didn't want to begin with) with the intent of introspection and finding herself. She gets entangled with her ex, who is days from getting married, and starts to scheme to win him back. If it sounds like My Best Friend's Wedding, don't worry, Somebody knows that and makes mention of it, and promptly steers away from it. This isn't about the star-crossed lovers, or the love triangle. That's a means to an end. This is Allie's journey, first and foremost. All the other characters support that. They have their own stories, and as it turns out, good ones; the ex is trying to recapture what he lost with his ex with his new fiance, right down to trying to stuff her into the same frame as Allie, and it blows up. There's great chemistry in so many directions with this cast. Brie and Jay Ellis make for a good pair of exes trying to negotiate a reconnection; Ellis and Kiersey Clemons make for a good pairing of people that maybe jumped into the pool without checking the water level; and there's a mini-Community reunion with Danny Pudi playing the anti-Abed. The script, written by Brie and her husband/director Dave Franco, knows when to emphasize what emotion. Relationships feel genuine, and there's only one moment of forced conflict that still suits a larger overall purpose. I was really surprised by this. It won't win any awards or revolutionize the genre, but it almost always makes the more interesting choice than the one you expect, and I liked it for that. It's a good way to spend an evening.