This is a fantastic film that was inexplicably overlooked by the judges at Sundance.
Some Body is a documentary style drama about a young elementary school teacher in Los Angeles who is on the front lines of the modern dating and sex wars. She may, in fact, be a casualty.
Shot on a couple of DV cams, SOME BODY breaks though numerous tired conventions of dramatic film-making. The performances are shockingly honest and realistic- Using a combination of scripted and improvised material, the actors are able to deliver performances that are so convincing that you often feel as if you are watching a documentary.
This film captures the essence of many modern relationships with shocking accuracy. Numerous times during the film, I winced from recognition of events from my own life- Awful things I have said to women and instantly regretted, things that have been said during a relationship that I am still p***ed about. This movie is right on target without ever engaging cliche.
It is the true successor to Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
Special praise goes to Stephanie Bennet- her performance is honest and courageous- but the acting in this film goes beyond these superlatives. The acting in this film frankly exposes the artifice of what modern film acting has become. I was convinced that Stephanie would receive the special Jury award the festival gives out annually- it went to Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkenson in "In the Bedroom"- which, I admit, I did not see.
I did see "The Believer" and I can say without reservation that Some Body is a far superior and important film.
My only gripe is the film's title- "Some Body" may have significant meaning to people who have seen the film, but none whatsoever to those who are considering seeing it. [crass marketing suggestion for a new title- "Slut" or "Easy" - ya gotta get sex into the title, guys]
