Sometimes a movie hurts so bad you just have to laugh it off. The joke is on you, so roll with the punches and have a giggle. I certainly did during “”Somebodies.” And now, I don’t want to be anywhere near this flick again.”
Scottie is a 22-year-old college student who spends most of his time getting drunk and jackassing around with his pals. For Scottie and friends, life isn’t something to be taken seriously and they’re content to just coast through it with as little responsibility as possible. But some community service, a new girlfriend and a few trips to church begins the thought process in Scottie’s head that perhaps he should quit being such a loser and do something with his life.
And that’s the ““live your life responsibly”” message “”Somebodies”” attempts to jam down your throat. Problem is, this well-intentioned pill is so oddly formed that, instead of digesting this message, you can’t help but choke on it. It’s like an After School Special gone wild, unbelievably goofy and overly preachy. But what’s weird is that it’s also trying to be a comedy along the lines of say “”House Party”” and “”Friday.”” In doing so, there are a few funny lines here and there, but mostly the feel of this movie is really uncomfortable with many of its scenes going on way too long for its own good. For instance, you’ll have a dinner conversation, about nothing really, that goes on forever, doing very little to propel the story forward and you just can’t help but wonder what the hell it’s all about. But shortly after an achingly long scene of some not-so-funny toilet humor, you’re getting being preached to again, sometimes literally. The two modes of this movie don’t blend whatsoever and it’s this schizo tone that makes “”Somebodies”” a really uncomfortable and confusing watch.
Yes, filmmaker Hadji has an important message here and it’s nice to see small indies such as this one get such high profile attention, but at the end of the day, –a good movie is a good movie. And a good movie “”Somebodies”” is not.
