Everybody Loves Somebody (2017) User Reviews

Come for Karla Souza... stay for the story

[ElementoSocial · 7/10 · 24 July 2017]

This is definitely a light comedy worth recommending. I have to confess that the only reason I decided to watch this movie was because I saw Miss Souza headlining it, but being honest the dynamics, characters and narrative of the movie are quite good.

The movie itself gives a direct look at what America has become, exploring the reality of hundreds or even thousands of people that have a split life between the US and Mexico, and that have nothing to do with drugs, trafficking or organized crime.

Clara (Souza) gives a great performance and her character is quite lovable.

Fun, Lite Chic-Flick Date Move

[ArminCallo-PalmSprings · 7/10 · 17 January 2017]

EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY (Mexico) Dir. Catalina Aguilar Mastretta (English and Spanish language)

Successful obstetrician Clara (Karla Souza, The Noble Family) spends her time between Los Angeles and her family in Baja California. She appears to have everything but love. Just when she seems on the verge of letting love back into her life, her ex unexpectedly reappears, setting into motion choices for Clara about love, and about herself. The film is an engaging, funny, and bittersweet bilingual romantic comedy.

I loved the family dynamics in the film. While the writing, or rather the situation it portrays, is very soap-opera-ish, it is nonetheless a well crafted screenplay. The dialogue is fresh, believable and ultimately drives the narrative thrust. It is well executed, in the style of the screwball comedies of Grant & Hepburn, Combard & Powell, etc. A sweet little gem.

Scoring the different elements of the film objectively, 1 to 4:

Script/Story: 3.5, loved the ending; well crafted narrative.

Cinematography/Visual Effects: 3; competently shot, plays well and looks well

Editing: 3; paced well

Sound Effects: 3

Musical Score: 3.5, interesting musical choices, pop et. al.

Performances: 3; believable, very likable characters..

Production Design: Sets, Locations, Costumes, etc.: 2.5; pretty, contemporary, ordinary look.

I would recommend this sweet, light, entertaining romantic comedy. Very likable cast, particularly as I met them at the World Premier at PSIFF17 where they had a "red carpet"-type media reception for the stars and the film makers (director, producers, etc.) and I was a volunteer at the reception and screening. Thumbs up! And a great thumbs up to the Palm Springs International Film Festival!!! #PSIFF17

A Cynical Message About Love

[lavatch · 5/10 · 8 July 2017]

This film is a romantic comedy without either romance or comedy. It appears to be more of a cynical meditation on love in the twenty-first century. The lead performer delivers a dynamic performance, but what is one to think of her conflicted character who seemingly lacks any kind of self-worth or sensitivity to the feelings of other people?

Written and directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, the film opens with a lengthy meditation on love that is simply filled with negative slogans. At the heart of the message is the perception of love as "the privilege of only a chosen few" and the argument that "true love is, in the best of cases, unlikely." This negative outlook is that of the central character named Clara. But her point of view is not borne out in the relationships of other characters in the film, especially the loving connection between her parents and her sister's happy marriage.

Clara is seemingly locked in an adolescent angst due to the heartbreaking experience of her first love, a restless character named Daniel who left Clara to join Doctors Without Borders, was fired, and then showed up without warning to try to rekindle his relationship with her. Concurrently, Clara has met a level-headed doctor who is a widower and seems to offer her stability and commitment.

In the narrative that unfolds in this triangle, Clara does her best to avoid commitment to either man. She even seeks to undermine the relationship of one of her female patients with her husband. An implausible happy ending is tacked on to the film that instills no confidence in Clara's potential for operating in an adult world.

A defining moment for Clara occurs when she blurts out in the car, "Oh, my god, I'm such a horrible person." No words in the film are more truthful and accurate than these! While the actress was convincing in this role, it was unfortunate that the screenplay offered little redemption for her character, never lucidly acknowledging her own vulnerability or willingness to suffer the slings and arrows of the vicissitudes of love.

Everybody needs love

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 26 March 2018]

Well one way or the other. One thing is for sure, this starts off pretty promising, with a very bleak outlook and a main character who seems to be completely opposed to love. So therefor there is some sort of redemption that we can be sure is coming later on. And the dialog strikes as nicely put together also (some nice punches thrown here and there, for comedy relief and making fun of reluctance for example).

But there are also downsides ... like being completely sugar coated and having moments of suspense of disbelief. It's almost a shame, because many things do work and feel so real in this, that when it gets "dreamy" and unrealistic it does get you out of the movie a bit. Not too much though, which is a testament to the actors involved, especially Karla Souza. She has a charisma that cannot be denied.

Hurt by abandonment, a doctor has trouble finding love.

[TxMike · 3 December 2017]

My wife and I watched this at home on DVD from our public library. The writer/director is Mexican and several of the characters are Mexican. This isn't an issue in itself but much of the Spanish dialog is very rapid-fire and it is difficult reading subtitles while also paying attention to what is happening on screen. Like the subtleties of acting, facial expressions, etc.

There are many characters, and there is a wedding of partners who have been together for 40 years and have two grown children. But the core story really only concerns three characters.

The main one, born in Mexico but fluent in several languages, is Karla Souza as Clara. She is an OB GYN doctor, works in Los Angeles, cares about her patients, and apparently is good at her practice. But in her off time she is frivolous, and when she gets horny easily picks up a stranger at a bar. A role often reserved for a male character. She seems adrift.

When she goes to attend her parents' wedding in the Baja region of Mexico she brings along another doctor just to not be alone. But she is surprised by Mexican actor José María Yazpik as Daniel, who as a family friend drops in for the outdoor wedding. We find out he is a former boyfriend who abandoned Clara 8 years earlier, working as a doctor without borders wanted to see the world. Clara thought she was over him but being near him ignites old passions.

The third key character is Australian Ben O'Toole as Asher, the doctor friend Clara brings to the wedding. But Asher doesn't just want to be her friend, he really wants to develop a lasting relationship with Clara who tries to brush him off, send him away, but he is persistent.

So most of the story is involving these three characters dealing with the issues of a temporary love triangle. A mixture of drama and comedy, but I'd classify it as a Rom-Com. Except for all the need for English subtitles, a pretty entertaining movie. Karla Souza is great, I hope to see her in other roles.

SPOILERS: Daniel is a cad, that is clear, but Clara can't easily let him go. They actually spend a night together, but in the end he takes off again, and Clara and Asher seem to be forming a budding long-term relationship.

rom com.

[cdcrb · 7/10 · 21 February 2017]

spoiler. it's a rom-com, so you know the ending. however, we do have to get from "a" to "z". and the road is not your usual stereotypical stuff. we have a seeming successful doctor, with a loving family and an empty life. she fills the void with alcohol, sadly. would drugs have been better? anyway, she needs a date for a wedding, and voila, there's your movie. an ex boyfriend shows up, natch, and problems ensue. her date, a saint, God help us, is a man of straight up good character and good things like that. of course, the ex is, well, catnip. we do get to "z", but not how you might figure. the dynamic is really well defined and the family dialogue is not bad. there is a late scene between the sister and brother-in=law which is quite lovely. he explains love and marriage. it's probably a chick flick, but I think the date could get through it. not bad, really.

Typical Rom Com

[missfrfsh · 6/10 · 9 September 2020]

Very good movie, with a little hit of spanish Nothing new about it Goor for late night movies

chick flick - comedy-romance

[malva-36628 · 8/10 · 20 February 2017]

Most of use have been there heartbroken by a relationship that didn't work out so not an uncommon story line but this was a very comical Mexican family. (Great actors) Go see if love wins, well it always does right ha!. Laughed a few times. Has romantic scenes that made me cry. Total chick flick. Good girls night out movie.

It's a familiar story with a predictable story line and ending

[ehaddad-86120 · 3/10 · 3 July 2017]

Even though it's a predictable light comedy, it had a few surprises. The biggest surprise was that 75% of the movie is in Spanish and you have to read the subtitles. The preview of the movie was only in English and gave no hint that I have to read the subtitles and to me that takes away from enjoying the movie.

Surprisingly good ROM-COM

[garciaruben223 · 8/10 · 25 February 2017]

Coming from a guy who went to see this film out of pure curiosity and the simple fact that there was nothing worthwhile to watch at my movie theater, I am happy that I made the decision to check out this cute, light-hearted romantic comedy. Overall, I enjoyed all of the performances and if it had not been for my familiarity with Karla Souza from How To Get Away With Murder and Alejandro Camacho who appears in various novelas, I probably would've ignored this film. Glad that wasn't the case.

Clara has a man choice to make

[stangpt-72073 · 4/10 · 16 January 2018]

The movie wasn't bad but the trailer that I viewed that made me interested in the film in the first place was entirely in English where most of the actual conversing was in Spanish with sub-titles which for me completely takes away from being able to become engrossed in the characters or at a minimum detracts from the material and storyline. As for the script it's the very typical and much played single woman having to choose between a former lover who left her with an empty heart vs. the new man on the block who's just a good guy wanting to show her how a real man acts in a relationship. If you go in OK with reading subtitles or know Spanish you might enjoy this one more than I did.

excellent Rom Com

[kimarmot · 9/10 · 1 July 2018]

As I don't speek a word of Spanish,and I agree it was hard at the beginning to switch between reading the subtitles and the english speaking dialogs, but I think it added a lot about the bicultural aspect of the movie. I loved that in this movie Mexican are not only described as loud poor people. Clara is a well educated woman struggling with her feelings. The storyline is very well balanced and I easily got attached by all the characters. This movie was really enjoyable.

Didn't even finish watching it after about 25 minutes

[VintageSoul56 · 19 January 2019]

1. I didn't know that a good part of the movie would be in Spanish with subtitles. The preview was in English. I don't have anything against subtitles, but tonight was not the night for them. 2. Totally smarmy ex boyfriend trying to get back into the good graces of the main female character. Don't go there! Been there, done that and bought the tee shirt. 3. Main female character got rip roaring drunk in, I estimate, 4 or 5 days of each other. It seemed that she did this on a regular basis. Personal experience of ex husband and ex boyfriend, been there, done that and bought the tee shirt. 4. Yep, I'm a little on the cynical side.

Ridiculous

[mariellosr · 2/10 · 10 March 2019]

Why Mexican media and cinema try so hard to be American... it's embarrassing

Loved it!!

[majoq · 10/10 · 6 March 2022]

Loved it from beginning to end.

Love the fact that it's in English and Spanish!

Love to see great Mexican actors!! Alejandro Camacho.

Funny, witty movie that leaves you thinking.

An unexpected and pretty impressive romcom.

[chris_ts · 9/10 · 10 April 2021]

The storyline was well portrayed. The lines had humor, especially Asher's. Actually, I adore how Asher know what he wants from the start. He is my favourite character on the film. The only negative, but still justified, was that the film has a lot indoor scenes and I missed a few more outdoor ones. PS: Stop complaining about the subtitles. They were accurate, synchronized and they minding their own business. As people with a developed vision you can practice and eventually you'll keep up. Neither English, nor Spanish is my mother tongue but I always watch with respect and love movies from other cultures.