Some Body | Film Review | Slant Magazine

FILM MOVIE REVIEW

Some Body *

by Ed Gonzalez on January 26, 2002 Jump to Comments (0) or Add Your Own

Henry Barrial's Some Body plays out like a sadistic joke without the punchline. Being that Barrial couldn't possibly be more contemptuous of single females, the only thing that doesn't befall his lovelorn, yuppie heroine is gang rape and murder. The film seems predicated on the notion that if your boyfriend makes you breakfast in bed then you shouldn't be thinking about leaving him. Once Samantha (Stephanie Bennett) contemplates independence, the filmmakers waste no time in punishing her: the new neighbor (the one she just shagged over backgammon) calls her a slut, a disgusting Guido steals from her and her new boyfriend dumps her after he discovers she's not a virgin. When Barrial's low-budget DV production takes on documentary overtones, friends (read: filmmakers) also begin to pass judgement on Samantha. This cowardly staged condescension of female liberation does take jabs at bad male behavior but to what effect? If you can get past one boyfriend's offensive description of Samantha's vagina you might be able to find some insight in Tony T's desire to market bacon and egg scented perfume. In essence: if women smell like food they become that much easier to digest. Samantha's best friend Leann (Marine Shelton) may save her from the lascivious Tony T (Tom Vitorino) when the girls hit the bars but she would rather give head than give her friend a ride home in the middle of the night. Barrial's psycho Samantha learns her lesson and returns to Anthony (who was unceremoniously dropped by a wishy-washy female). Now that she's back where she belongs, she's ready for her male consumption.

Director(s): Henry Barrial
Screenplay: Henry Barrial, Stephanie Bennett
Cast: Stephanie Bennett, Jeramy Guillory, Billy Ray Gallion, Tom Vitorino, Laura Katz, Sean Michael Allen, Marine Shelton
Distributor: Lot 47 Films
Runtime: 80 min.
Rating: NR
Year: 2002