Film Review: Some Girl(s)

I first saw Neil Labute’s “Some Girl(s)” when it was performed in Los Angeles.  I was pleasantly surprised when I heard it was being turned into a movie.  It stars Adam Brody, Jennifer Morrison, Mia Maestro, Emily Watson, Zoe Kazan and Kristen Bell.

In short, the film is about a nameless male writer on the verge of getting married (called Guy in the play, Man in the movie) who has decided to tour the country visiting old girlfriends. Each new girl visits his hotel room and in short order we hear about this particular couples’ past.  Constricting the action to a series of innocuous hotel rooms helps to focus the audience’s attention when performed live. The hotel room is essentially repeated almost exactly the same in Los Angeles as it is in Boston. The filmmakers made the interesting decision to set each scene in hotel rooms as unique as the women who come to visit them. I found such sets distracting at first but ultimately helpful in separating not only who these girls are but also who they were for Man. Still the film lacked the pace needed to fully keep your attention. How this would have been corrected I cannot say except to float the idea of giving each new scene a new director (in a Four Rooms kind of way) to provide more twists and turns to get the material moving.

The film works on the strength of the performances and less on the writing. No one can deny LaBute’s talent so I wonder if he purposefully underwrote this one. As the title says this is a play about some girls but the lack of real insight into the single male characters left me a little confused. There were a few dialogue changes in the script’s journey from stage to screen and I can’t help but wonder if there should’ve been a few more.  The idea behind the film is intriguing but with no one to “root” for you quickly lose interest. With each new scene hopes of deeper clarity and greater understanding go unrequited. And yet, you want to keep watching. I found myself wondering if there were moments I was missing and I feel confident that there are at least a few. By the end of the film you do gain some insight into the Man’s purpose for this journey but purpose does not equal depth. The ending is almost tossed away. That being said the addition of a new “girl” not previously seen in the play provides some of the best acting and dramatic moments of the entire film.

The casting of Brody is most interesting since his natural sweetness and charm prevent you from ever deciding on a clear interpretation of who he is when confronted with the things he has done in his past.  Perhaps you wonder if deep down he really is who he is apparently trying so hard to be.  Would it have been better to have cast an actor whose lack of gravitas made our feelings about his character easier to crystalize? Perhaps, but I tend to prefer bolder, more complex casting choices even at the risk of overall satisfaction in the general sense of the word.

In short, the film does not deliver the way I’d like it to, but part of me didn’t care. I got what I was prepared for and the things I didn’t like had nothing to do with the actors. Some Girl(s) may indeed be more endearing to us drama nerds than to the general public but films like this aren’t made to stand toe to toe with Oscar winning projects. Perhaps it’s best to view watching it as you would watching the play, that is you take a brief part of your night to watch everyday people try their best to communicate with each other- that most basic and yet difficult task for us all.