Someone Else

source: Someone Else

This Film appealed to me because it starred one of the favourites in Green Wing, and I suppose it's good that I gave it a go. Basically thirty-something David (Stephen Mangan) is a portraits photographer at a high-street photo studio, and when he isn't working he is stressing over his love life. He is torn between rather-too-agreeable girlfriend Lisa (Susan Lynch), and the exciting but tricky Nina (Lara Belmont), and has to make a serious decision of which to be with. It is when he gets it all wrong and loses both he has to start all over again. Also starring EastEnders' Chris Coghill as Matt, Shaun Dingwall as Michael, John Henshaw as Paul, Lydia Piechowiak as Stephanie, Lydia Fox as Matt's girl, Bridget Fry as Jane, Frank Perozo as Alex and a cameo appearance by Neville Bardoliwalla as Freddie Mercury. This was meant to be a romantic comedy drama, however I found it more drama filled on the whole. The film has a lot of appeal and is worth watching. Patrick Smith (Culture Editor) -The Independent

There's a saying, when you are in a relationship, it is still OK to, 'look at the scenery.' There is perhaps an irresistible human urge, especially in the male that is genetically programmed to sow his oats as wide as possible, at least to consider how green the grass might be when it is just out of reach. But if that sounds like an apologia to male chauvinism, Someone Else is every girl's dream for the warning shot to make him count his blessings. British romantic comedy with a hard edge. Dave and Lisa have been in a relationship for nearly three years. Over dinner, their two married friends tease them about tying the knot and Dave is visibly less comfortable than is Lisa. He and Nina have been having an affair and, when pushed, Dave decides to own up to Lisa and tell her he is love with someone else. Although Lisa is furious, Dave is even less prepared for Nina's reaction. She is everything his girlfriend isn't - did he expect any less? What makes Someone Else stand out is the unsettling realism of the characters and a script that sounds spontaneous and natural. Dave's plight is guaranteed to make every man in the audience feel sheepishly uncomfortable, and there are no reassuringly sentimental story lines. The ensemble cast of attractive young 30-somes is frighteningly unlike the stock caricatures of romantic comedy and, as Dave's confidence and charm desert him, the film is a challenging broadside to the male psyche. It marks a debut for director and scriptwriter Col Spector - one that he handles with considerable aplomb. It also manages to take a cynical look at Reiki healing, swinging, and dating agencies - though not without reversing many of our assumptions in the light of later developments. " 'I like any sort of music' . . . " reads David from a girl's dating profile, "she's got one album, 'The Best of Music.' " This beautiful bittersweet comedy is unafraid to tackle taboos and unrelenting in its exposure of men's hidden thoughts. It keeps us on our toes as we are never quite sure of the direction it is going in i.e. The movie has it's quirky moments for example when Neville Bardoliwalla pops up unexpectedly as Freddie Mercury during a photo shoot scene! Review Courtesy of Sir Neville Cawas Cyrus Bardoliwalla OBE

I saw this late at night on BBC, tuned in and it was about ten minutes in but i sat and watched the rest because i'm a big fan of Stephen Mangan (responsible for one of the greatest one-off characters on British TV, 'Dan' in I'm Alan Partridge). Considering the low budget this is a really great film with a good cast and nice dialogue and i thoroughly enjoyed it. It should strike a chord with anyone who has made a regrettable decision in their life or is a bit 'lost'. It has some funny moments, some cringy moments and some real heart wrenching moments.. mostly because the main character is really likable (even if a little self involved) and you really want to see him find whatever he's looking for in the end.. you'll have to watch to find out if he does or not.. P.s. his boss Paul played by John Henshaw adds some much needed comic relief as does his almost infuriatingly deadpan best friend Matt...

A low-budget,low-key and modest romantic comedy set around smart terraced London surroundings,SOMEONE ELSE is a mildly watchable opus telling the adventures of a somewhat gauche,fairly likable thirty-something photographer (Stephen Mangan),and his rejection of a long time partner (Susan Lynch) for another,though he eventually realises that this was a rushed decision,and finds it hard to reconcile his new life as a singleton while trying to return to his original love. And that basically is the whole story and nothing else.Thankfully,the film has a brief running time (around 75 minutes),though because of the plodding,tedious pace that director Col Spector has employed,with some awkward pauses and mumbling from Mangan and the supporting cast,it seems rather longer,with lengthy,static takes adding to the sense of ponderousness.That said,there are some funny moments,most of them involving incidents when Mangan is at his job taking photographs,which are not especially relevant to the basic plot,thin as it is.The settings are terribly twee and middle-class,which virtually render the film as a far more mundane version of a script by Richard (NOTTING HILL,LOVE ACTUALLY,etc.) Curtis,though with slightly more irony and less excesses (perhaps because of the modest budget).It is rather curious to see two Mancunian actors (Christopher Coghill,John Henshaw) in the midst of London suburbia and middle-class angst,though their performances are fine and they do provide some wry humour;however,as well as the sluggish pace,the film remains far too understated for it's own good,and probably would have played better as a TV film;it's certainly not the sort of project to get punters filling up cinemas,and it didn't,barely taking £3,000 on it's UK release in 2007. Despite decent performances,SOMEONE ELSE gives the viewer the indisputable feeling that it is nothing more than a minor effort,constricted by it's plot and budget,and that all involved could do better. RATING:5 out of 10.

This is a condescending, plodding film that professes to shine a torch on the darkened psyche of the 'average bloke' by telling the story of a slightly morose, self-important Londoner (Stephen Mangan) who dumps his girlfriend in favour of the 'free-spirited' Nina. Instead, it says more about the director's tedious experience of being a 30-something than its demographic... then again, I'm not 30-something, so perhaps everyone who reaches this epoch does turn into a dull city boy whose definition of risk is to politely end a relationship with a boring person and spend an hour mulling over it being a hasty decision. Influenced by Woody Allen, but not in a good way.

I think this film mainly appealed to me because it starred one of the favourites in Green Wing, and I suppose it's good that I gave it a go. Basically thirty-something David (Stephen Mangan) is a portraits photographer at a high-street photo studio, and when he isn't working he is stressing over his love life. He is torn between rather-too-agreeable girlfriend Lisa (Susan Lynch), and the exciting but tricky Nina (Lara Belmont), and has to make a serious decision of which to be with. It is when he gets it all wrong and loses both he has to start all over again. Also starring EastEnders' Chris Coghill as Matt, Shaun Dingwall as Michael, John Henshaw as Paul, Lydia Piechowiak as Stephanie, Lydia Fox as Matt's girl, Bridget Fry as Jane and Frank Perozo as Alex. This was meant to be a romantic comedy drama, I found it more drama filled, and I couldn't tell what bits I was meant to find funny, but Mangan isn't a bad lead, and I suppose the film does have some appeal. Worth watching!

There's a saying, when you are in a relationship, it is still OK to, 'look at the scenery.' There is perhaps an irresistible human urge, especially in the male that is genetically programmed to sow his oats as wide as possible, at least to consider how green the grass might be when it is just out of reach. But if that sounds like an apologia to male chauvinism, Someone Else is every girl's dream for the warning shot to make him count his blessings. British romantic comedy with a hard edge, Someone Else is a remarkable example of what fine talent can do on a tiny budget. Dave and Lisa have been in a relationship for nearly three years. Over dinner, their two married friends tease them about tying the knot and Dave is visibly less comfortable than is Lisa. He and Nina have been having an affair and, when pushed, Dave decides to own up to Lisa and tell her he is love with someone else. Although Lisa is furious, Dave is even less prepared for Nina's reaction. She is everything his girlfriend isn't - did he expect any less? What makes Someone Else stand out is the unsettling realism of the characters and a script that sounds spontaneous and natural. Dave's plight is guaranteed to make every man in the audience feel sheepishly uncomfortable, and there are no reassuringly sentimental story lines. The ensemble cast of attractive young 30-somes is frighteningly unlike the stock caricatures of romantic comedy and, as Dave's confidence and charm desert him, the film is a challenging broadside to the male psyche. It marks a début for director and scriptwriter Col Spector - one that he handles with considerable aplomb. It also manages to take a cynical look at Reiki healing, swinging, and dating agencies - though not without reversing many of our assumptions in the light of later developments. " 'I like any sort of music' . . . " reads David from a girl's dating profile, "she's got one album, 'The Best of Music.' " This beautiful bittersweet comedy is unafraid to tackle taboos and unrelenting in its exposure of men's hidden thoughts. It keeps us on our toes as we are never quite sure of the direction it is going in. Perhaps the biggest disappointment with Someone Else is that it never quite makes the lasting impact that it so deserves.

Saw this little gem of a film at the Titanic Film Festival in Budapest. It's about relationships from a male perspective and the difficulties of committing oneself to a relationship. The director was present at the screening and we had an interesting Q & A session after the movie, where Mr. Spector labeled his film as an unromantic comedy. He did rightly so because he manages to avoid the clichés of the genre and stays realistic all the way keeping its characters with their feet firmly on the ground. The dialogue is well written, the acting is solid, so it's pretty easy to identify yourself with the characters and the situations they're in. There is a touch of humour as well but the overall tone is a bit saddish as our main character, David learns his lesson the hard way. Overall, Someone else is a decent debut and I look forward to hearing from Mr. Spector again.

Trailer—Someone Else