EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY (2017)

n EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY, a bilingual movie from Mexico, Dr. Clara Barron is a young, successful OB/GYN in Los Angeles with a penchant for candor that doesn’t always go over well with her patients. She often spends her evenings at bars picking up men for one night stands and usually gets a little drunk in the process.

After one such evening, Clara comes home to her mother trying on a wedding gown for her upcoming nuptials in Baja California. After 40 years of cohabitation and two children, Clara’s parents have finally decided to marry. As maid of honor, Clara’s required to bring a date and turns to an Australian medical resident, Asher, working alongside her at the hospital.

Asher accepts and the two quickly bond during the several-hour drive. They invent a Mexican grandmother for him, in hopes that will appease Clara’s parents. Apparently, this is a tactic that Clara’s sister tried when introducing her Jewish husband-to-be a few years before the events in this movie.

At the wedding, it’s clear right away that Clara’s family all love and support each other deeply. This includes Daniel, a handsome Mexican doctor who jilted Clara at the altar eight years ago for a job with Doctors Without Borders. Daniel shows up unexpectedly at the wedding, sending Clara’s head spinning. A rivalry erupts almost instantly between him and Asher, casting doubt on whether Clara can commit to either one of them.

Back in Los Angeles, Asher continues to pursue Clara, but she avoids his advances and visits her family in Mexico again the following weekend. To her disdain, Daniel is staying with her parents while home from overseas.

Trying to neutralize the situation, Clara hurriedly invites Asher down. Before her new beau arrives, Clara and Daniel succumb to the past and spend the night together. The next day Asher arrives, and the rivalry between him and Daniel continues. Clara finds herself caught in the middle. Should she give Daniel a second chance, explore a new love with Asher or say adios to both of them?

This romantic comedy is strong on romance, but weak on comedy. Many of the jokes fall flat, though there are a couple hearty laughs. One of the annoyances is the constant back-and-forth between Spanish and English, often mid-sentence, and often several times in a scene. The flow of reading subtitles abruptly shifts to normal listening, and then abruptly shifts back to reading subtitles. This makes keeping up with the dialogue more work than what is typical.

Also, there is a subtle feeling that something is “off” during the movie. Daniel and Clara are supposed to be past lovers who share a deep bond, but they come across more as siblings or close friends rather than a couple, and the relationship seems forced. The other contributing factor to that ‘off’ feeling is the lack of a plot. While there is a story, it doesn’t have a definitive plot driving it. The scenes have more of a meandering structure, making the movie less interesting than it otherwise might have been. A rambling plot doesn’t make for a cohesive, compelling story.

The movie’s strongest message is the importance of family. However, sleeping around with men doesn’t faze Clara or her family members, and she even cheats on Asher once they’re together. At one point, Clara’s mother makes a joke about going to Hell for some offense, and Clara turns that joke into one of her own about going to Hell for her one night stands. Clara’s frankness also leads to hurt feelings with several people, especially a young couple who start to question their marriage as their first child comes due. That said, the movie eventually does hold characters accountable for their actions and retains an overall moral view. Clara comes to realize her actions have largely been wrong, and she makes amends.

EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEONE contains several scenes implying sex, including one scene involving passionate kissing in bed. The foul language is slight, but still enough to keep children away. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution for older teenagers and adults.