If you have not heard the name Gina Rodriguez, get to know it. An extraordinarily versatile actress, boss rapper, supreme philanthropist, and charming human being, she is changing the game for women everywhere. After taking on the main role on the hit CW series "Jane The Virgin", she claimed a Golden Globe award. Now after finishing up filming on the fifth and final season of playing Jane Villanueva, Rodriguez is changing up her pace.
The newest chapter in her life is unfolding in the cinema world. Someone Great hit Netflix on April 16th, and to say it is a must-watch would be an understatement. Witty, emotional, empowering, and bold, Rodriguez not only puts on the performance of a lifetime in this incredible Netflix Original, she also produced it. A classic rom-com without the classic love story, Someone Great is a breath of fresh air to the current world of movies. Anything you thought about an average storyline is completely tossed out the window. Three best friends, taking on the world in one last night of adventure, has never been portrayed as so comically endearing. This movie makes you feel - but not because of its sweet story line. The emotion in this film is raw, its natural, because I have yet to watch a more realistic depiction of what getting your heart broken truly looks like.
The casting for this movie is something that hit way above par, and does it the true justice it deserves. Brittany Snow, Lakeith Stanfield, DeWanda Wise, Peter Vack, and even QuestLove, join Rodriguez behind the camera to create a magical sensation that has the ability to resonate with anyone. I can guarantee that at least one character will hit home with you and fully depict a member of your squad - maybe even yourself. Each character's personality just takes the plot to another level of transparency and adds a new dimension, allowing for an intense personal connection between the actors and the audience.
Movie soundtracks are something that I never usually bother to search out. I love music, I love movies, but rarely do I connect these two with movie soundtracks. With this movie, that all changed. The Spotify playlist Someone Great has been on a constant repeat shuffle since I closed my Netflix browser at the end of the movie. Starting off the playlist with a bold Lizzo hit perfectly encompasses the overall mood of the movie - empowerment. As the playlist continues, mixing in low beats and slow ballads with hype rap creates the perfect nuance for the rollercoaster ride that is heartbreak. Just as the movie depicts, it is a journey. But with the right people around you making it through that journey, and growing from it, is what matters.
So take an hour and a half break from finals, grab your friends, and get on Netflix. This movie will leave you not only happy, but emotional, conflicted, satisfied, encouraged, and curious. This is not one of those movies that will drop off at the end and leave you questioning anything and everything you have ever known, a crying mess on the couch. There is no pressure put on it. But it will, overall, leave you with a sense of purpose as to why things in life happen the way they do. And it will inspire, just as Gina Rodriguez continues to do with her work.
