In Need of More Love
Mercedes (Rosie Perez) is two things; she is a struggling young actress who works as a taxi dancer whilst she hopes to make it big and she is dating Harry (Harvey Keitel) a married actor who once had a part in a western TV series. Harry knows he is on to a good thing with young Mercedes as not only does she idolize him but is gullible enough to believe that he is going to help her make it. Then there is Ernesto (Michael DeLorenzo) who meets Mercedes at the club where she dances and falls for her big time to the point that even if she doesn't love him back he wants her to do better than she is doing now.
"Somebody to Love" reminds me of a play, not a big stage play but one of those off the main street plays where famous actors get to reconnect with why they chose to be actors rather than just playing a part for money. Unfortunately that means it isn't for everyone and in everyone I include myself as whilst I enjoy actors delivering characters I need more than just that and what passes for more in "Somebody to Love", the story is just not interesting enough for me.
That story is basically a tale of two men and a woman all of which are in a hopeless situation. There is Mercedes thinking that Harry is going to not only help her become a star but leave his wife for her. Then there is Harry who is not only delusional over how big a star he was but also his own belief he will be a star again. And then there is Ernesto who is deeply in love with Mercedes despite knowing she will never love him. That is it and as the story plays out everyone suffers a lot of disappointment and tough breaks, the sort of thing which has sadly been done in many other movies.
But then there are the performances and Rosie Perez, Michael DeLorenzo and Harvey Keitel along with supporting performances from the likes of Anthony Quinn and Stanley Tucci all deliver full on characters and are very good at it. But whilst I like watching Rosie Perez going full on Brooklyn it is a case I've seen it before where as seeing Steve Buscemi in drag, well that is something very new and different.
What this all boils down to is that "Somebody to Love" is a good showcase of actors talents with all the cast playing their parts well. The trouble is that the storyline is ordinary and not that entertaining which is a shame.
