Some Girls

Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Florinda Bolkan, Jennifer Connolly, Sheila Kelley, Lila Kedrova
Directed by: Michael Hoffman
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Michael (Patrick Dempsey) goes to visit his girlfriend (Jennifer Connolly) during Christmas vacation. There, he meets her family and struggles to fit in with them as they deal with some family issues.

Review:

Tim: Some Girls is not a great movie. It is one of those films that really defies classification. I suppose it is truly a romantic dramedy, but it doesn't follow what you would typically expect from a movie. On the one hand, this is a refreshing change, and I admit I was paying attention for that reason. However, the movie itself isn't very effective, as the interesting story takes too many odd turns, making the audience question what it is we're watching (and eventually, why we're watching). This is a movie with an identity crisis. It tries to be too many things to too many people, and as a result, only works partially.

The cast is surprisingly good. Patrick Dempsey does a serviceable job in the lead role. He is a good straight man to the strange behavior all around him, and we genuinely sympathize with him. Jennifer Connolly had an unlikeable role, and is only barely decent in it. I actually really like Sheila Kelley. I thought she gave a very good performance throughout the film. The rest of the supporting cast are fairly forgettable.

The movie does a good job of balancing out humor and drama. I have to admit there were a few moments of sheer awkwardness which were actually very, very funny. These scenes are great, but there are too few of them. The movie also has some bizarre scenes which I just didn't understand, had difficult following, and wondered why in the world they were even included. The main one that comes to mind is when Michael helps Granny undress because she's so cold. I couldn't tell you the reason for this, and I think there was a more effective way to go about it. This movie had a number of these just weird moments. Luckily, it also had some strong ones, as well. I thought there were some very realistic romantic moments that made me believe some of the plot could have actually happened (other parts, not so much). I had a difficult time watching this movie because of so many highs and lows- some great moments but also some terrible ones.

Some Girls is certainly a unique movie, but not exactly a terrific one. I'm glad I watched it because it was so different, but I wouldn't exactly say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This movie could have been much better, but as is, it is a strange oddity that I may never truly understand.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



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