Paolo Genovese is back in fine form with his new film, Somebody to Love. Having discovered his 2016 film Perfect Strangers (Perfetti Sconosciuti) after getting stuck in a Wiki-hole about remakes of movies, I found that Perfect Strangers had been remade more than 20 times since its release. I had to give it a watch. Once I did, it was easy to understand why it was, and still is, so popular. Turning a dinner between friends into a comedy thriller is no mean feat, and I couldn’t look away. One, because it was great, and two, because it’s subtitled and my Italian is rubbish at best.
Somebody to Love shines the torch on the dating scene for people in their 30s and above, and how the life experience people accrue across their lives can be a blessing and a curse when starting a new relationship.
The anxiety of saying the wrong thing, oversharing, showing your crazy side too early, and everything else your brain processes when you go on that first date. Paolo in his role as director once again shows he can make something so simple as a date become so compelling to watch.
The easiest way I can describe this rom-com to people looking to watch it, is this: It’s the kids’ Disney Pixar movie Inside Out, but for adults getting back into the dating scene after leaving a complex relationship.
That’s not a bad thing, either. The couple, played by Edoardo Leo (a return from Perfect Strangers) and Pilar Fogliati have great chemistry together, and going back to the Inside Out analogy, each “side” has four different inner voices.
That’s where the comedy really comes alive. Each time either side says something a little bit over the top, or too personal, we snap back to the eight voices across the couple. They could discuss possible outcomes, argue within themselves, mull over tactics, or maybe just call themselves idiots.
The four voices on each side represent different parts of their personalities. In my one criticism of the movie, sometimes those voices tend to blend a little more than they should. As in, maybe three voices per side would have been enough. But none of the actors are out of place, and everyone is hilarious.
Somebody to Love is currently screening in Melbourne as part of the Italian Film Festival at select cinemas. You can find more details and book tickets at the festival’s website here.
