Movie: Somebody To Love

If you’ve ever wondered what an adult version of the animated family comedy, Inside Out, would look like then Somebody to Love is the movie for you.

If you’re looking for a great fun romantic comedy then it also ticks all the boxes.

It’s easy to understand why Somebody to Love was Italy’s number one box office hit of 2025.

The movie reveals the innermost thoughts and uncertainties of Italian couple Piero (Edoardo Leo) and Lara (Pilar Fogliati) on their first date.

He is a recently divorced teacher with a young child and she’s a furniture restorer who has just finished a relationship with a married man. She has suggested a home cooked dinner in her apartment for their first date.

From the very first scene it’s obvious both have emotional baggage as shown by the discussions between their inner most thoughts.

Lara’s thoughts are controlled by Giulietta (Vittoria Puccini), representing her naïve, dreamy and romantic self, Trilli (Emanuela Fanelli), her free-spirited, irreverent, light-hearted and sarcastic thoughts, Scheggia (Maria Chiara Giannetta) her anarchic, rock-and-roll side – restless and wild, ready to explode like a loose cannon and Alfa (Claudia Pandolfi) who is decisive, authoritarian, uncompromising, relentless, disillusioned yet unwavering.

Thoughts inside Piero’s mind are controlled by Romeo (Maurizio Lastrico) who is shy, reserved, tender and romantic, Eros (Claudio Santamaria) who is smooth, seductive and passionate, Valium (Rocco Papaleo) who is disenchanted, sceptical, absent-minded and slow to act and The Professor (Marco Giallini), Piero’s voice of reason and rational side that urges caution above all else.

As Lara and Piero get to know each other and deal with a couple of tricky situations, including a call from Piero’s child and a visit from Lara’s ex-boyfriend, their inner voices are in full swing providing all sorts of competing advice and thoughts.

According to writer-director Paolo Genovese, our decision-making is determined by a number of factors. These include the number of personalities we have, how many aspects of our character we have to deal with when making decisions and how many inner battles take place in our minds when that decision is uncomfortable, complicated, unsettling or risky. These factors provided the starting point for the comedy.

“We wanted to explore and depict the inner conflicts we face when making life-changing decisions, especially those that can make our lives either wonderful or unbearable – romantic decisions,” he explains.

“We see the evening unfold not only in reality but also inside their minds, uncovering everything that happens when thoughts form and emotions take shape – the mysterious and surprising mechanisms that drive each of us to decide every single gesture, action, word, or reaction before it manifests in reality.”

Thanks to Genovese’s script and directing and the work of Leo and Fogliati all the emotions experienced by many of us on a first date are brilliantly brought to the screen. There’s the initial awkwardness, polite small talk, uncertainty and often insecurity.

There are also numerous extremely funny scenes when the interaction between Lara and Piero becomes more physical.

With a running time of just 98 minutes Somebody to Love never outstays it’s welcome unlike some of Lara’s and Peiro’s thoughts!

Somebody to Love opens in Australian cinemas on January 22 with advance screenings scheduled for January 16 to 18.

*©Palace Films.