Inner Voice and Missed Connections: Dissecting 'Somebody to Love' (Follemente)
In this episode of *Movies First*, Chris and Jessica dive into the whimsical yet frustrating world of *Somebody to Love* (Follemente), a romantic comedy that explores the chaos of overthinking in dating. The film presents a unique premise: what if every decision you made on a date was influenced by a chorus of voices in your head? The story follows Pierro, a 40-year-old high school teacher, and Lara, a 35-year-old furniture restorer, as they navigate their first date filled with awkwardness and external commentary from their friends.
Listeners are treated to a comedic yet exhausting experience as Chris and Jessica unpack the film's concept. While the initial setup is amusing, the relentless dissection of every action and word quickly becomes overwhelming. The hosts discuss the chemistry between the leads, highlighting Lara's warm energy and Pierro's reserved nature, but lament the film's slow pacing, noting it takes a full hour for a kiss to occur—leaving viewers yearning for more.
As they delve deeper, Chris and Jessica critique the script's shortcomings, pointing out that the characters lack the depth necessary to keep audiences engaged throughout the 97-minute runtime. While the film attempts to explore themes of insecurity and decision-making in relationships, it ultimately feels bogged down by its own gimmick. With a score of 5.5 out of 10, this episode invites listeners to reflect on the potential of storytelling techniques that don’t quite hit the mark. Join Chris and Jessica as they dissect *Somebody to Love*, a film that, despite its moments, leaves much to be desired.
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Chris: Okay, so here's a what if every single
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decision you made on a date wasn't just
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yours, but also influenced by a chorus of
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voices in your head? That's the premise of
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Somebody to Love. A romantic comedy that
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takes the idea of overthinking to a whole new
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level.
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Jessica: Oh, uh, that's definitely relatable. We all
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have those inner voices, right?
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But turning that into a movie, that's a bold
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move. How does it actually play out?
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Chris: Well, it's a mixed bag. The story centers
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on Pierro, a 40 year old high school teacher
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with a young daughter and a divorce under his
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belt. And Lara, a 35 year old furniture
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restorer who's just untangled herself from a
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messy relationship with a married man. It's
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their first date and she's invited him over
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for dinner. He shows up with wine and
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condoms. So, you know, the stakes are already
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high.
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Jessica: That's quite the setup. And then you add in
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the Greek chorus, his four male friends and
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her four female friends, all in their heads,
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constantly chiming in. I can see how that
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could be funny, but also overwhelming. Does
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it work?
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Chris: At first it's kind of amusing. You get this
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peek into their insecurities, their doubts
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and their hopes, all voiced by their friends.
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It's like watching their inner monologues
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come to life. But the problem is, it doesn't
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stop. Every single action, every word
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spoken is dissected to death by these
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voices. It's like being stuck in a room with
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eight people who can't agree on anything and
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you can't leave.
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Jessica: That does sound exhausting.
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So while all this back and forth is
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happening, are we at least seeing any real
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connection between Lara and Pierrot? Do they
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have moments where you're rooting for them?
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Chris: There are definitely moments where you catch
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a glimpse of something real between them.
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Lara, played by Pilar Fogliotti, has
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this playful, warm energy that makes her easy
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to root for. Piero, played by Eduardo
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Leo, is a bit more reserved, but he has his
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moments too. The problem is the film
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takes forever to let those moments breathe.
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Spoiler alert. It takes a full hour for them
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to even kiss. An hour.
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By that point, you're just begging for
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something, anything, to happen.
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Jessica: An hour? That's a serious slow burn.
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So what's the deal with these two, uh, as
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characters? Are they compelling enough to
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carry the film, or does the script let them
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down?
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Chris: Honestly, the script is the real issue here.
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The concept had potential, but it doesn't
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have enough substance to sustain a 97 minute
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runtime. The characters are fine. Lara
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is definitely the more engaging of the two,
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but they're not given enough depth or
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development to make you truly invested. And
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the lack of surprises doesn't help. Aside
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from one curveball, everything feels pretty
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predictable.
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Jessica: That's disappointing. I mean, uh, romantic
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comedies don't always need to reinvent the
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wheel, but they do need to keep you engaged.
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If you're just sitting there waiting for them
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to kiss or wondering if he's going to stay
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over, that's not exactly riveting
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storytelling.
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Chris: Exactly. And to be fair, there are people who
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might appreciate the film's European
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sensibilities. The slower pacing, the focus
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on character, introspection. But for me, it
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just didn't land. Honestly, it felt like this
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concept would have worked better as a short
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film. 97 minutes was just too much.
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Jessica: That's a shame. It sounds like the film had
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the potential to explore some really
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interesting themes, like how our insecurities
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and inner conflicts shape our decisions,
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especially in relationships. But it
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seems like it got bogged down by its own
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gimmick.
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Chris: Exactly. And don't get me wrong, I didn't
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hate it. There were moments that worked, and
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I did warm to Fogliotti's performance,
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But overall, it felt lackluster.
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I ended up giving it a five and a half out of
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ten. It's not terrible, but it's not
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something I'd rush to recommend either.
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Jessica: Fair enough.
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So would you say the Greek chorus idea was
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the film's biggest downfall, or was it more
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about the lack of a compelling narrative?
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Chris: A bit of both. Honestly. The Greek chorus was
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a clever idea in theory, but it wasn't
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executed in a way that kept it fresh or
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engaging. And without a strong narrative to
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anchor the film, it just felt like it was
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spinning its wheels.
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Jessica: Got it. So, for anyone thinking
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about watching Somebody to Love, what's your
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advice? Go in with low expectations
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or maybe just skip it altogether?
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Chris: I'd say if you're a fan of European romantic
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comedies and you don't mind a slower pace, it
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might be worth a watch. But if you're looking
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for something with more energy or emotional
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payoff, you might want to look elsewhere.
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Jessica: Good to know. Well, it's always
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interesting to see how filmmakers experiment
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with storytelling techniques, even if they
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don't always hit the mark. Hopefully
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Genovese's next project will find a better
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balance. Agreed.
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Chris: Uh, and who knows? Maybe someone else
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will take this concept and give it the twist
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it needs to really shine.
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Jessica: Here's hoping. Thanks for breaking it down.
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It sounds like Somebody to Love had its
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moments, but ultimately it's a bit of a
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missed opportunity.
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Chris: That's a fair summary. And hey, at least it
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gave us something to talk about. I hope you
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enjoy Somebody to Love more than I did. Rated
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M. It scores a five and a half out of 10.
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Jessica: You've been listening to movies first
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available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
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iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast
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player. You can also stream on demand at
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bytes.
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Chris: Com. This has been another quality podcast
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production from Bytes. Com. Um.
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