Between 2017 and 2020, relatively unknown British actress Daisy Ridley starred as the lead character Rey in the most recent “Star Wars” trilogy. In between the three installments, she provided her voice for the animated “Only Yesterday” and “Peter Rabbit,” narrated and produced the magnificent documentary “The Eagle Huntress,” had a supporting role in the abysmal “Murder on the Orient Express,” and played the title lead in the so-so “Ophelia,” which was based on a character in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
No matter what she does for the rest of her career, chances are Ms. Ridley will be most closely associated with Rey, and to her credit, she’s trying everything possible to escape the typecasting fate that more or less claimed the careers of her fellow “Star Wars” alums Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher.
Suicide Versus Death
If this movie was titled “Sometimes I Think About Killing Myself,” it wouldn’t have worked on multiple levels. The rub is that relatively few people ever consider or commit suicide, but practically every self-aware adult in human history has thought about the inevitability of death in some form or fashion.Based on the short film of the same name (itself based on a play by Kevin Armento, who co-wrote the screenplay), “Sometimes” stars Ms. Ridley as Fran, a drab, plain-Jane type, who examines spreadsheets and buys office supplies for an unspecified small business in northwest Oregon. Simply put, Fran is light-years removed from Rey in every conceivable fashion.
Fran gets along with all of her office mates inasmuch as she barely makes a peep while doing her job, and seems incapable of small talk on even the most basic level. During the entire first act (30 or so minutes), Fran speaks just six words.
A Hint of Romance
After the retirement of coworker Carol (Marcia DeBonis), her replacement (stand-up comedian Dave Merheje as Richard) is hired. Almost immediately, he has an effect on Fran. During a “welcome” meeting for Richard led by office manager Isobel (Megan Stalter), he and Fran exchange knowing, barely registering, fleeting glances, which is followed by a series of droll, deadpan, interoffice email exchanges.For fans of either or both the British (Ricky Gervais) or American (Steve Carell) incarnations of the sitcom “The Office,” “Sometimes” will hit the spot. The frequent non-verbal humor is bone dry, and certainly limited in its appeal. If you didn’t like either version of “The Office,” you won’t like “Sometimes.”
Pretty Woman
It’s easy to see why Ms. Ridley chose to take on this challenging role. As Hollywood standards go, she is a very pretty woman, and, even with minimal make-up and unflattering wardrobe choices, it’s hard to hide her beautiful appearance, which might be the unintended point.Being good-looking, or at least “attractive” by recognized movie standards, is an enviable start, but won’t help in making it to the finish line.
Fran not only considers herself unattractive but also believes she’s incapable of conducting regular human interaction. When Richard enters the picture, she recognizes this could change, yet is petrified that she could unwillingly do or say something to sabotage it.
Not everyone is an extrovert or a bubbly “Chatty Cathy” type. As the narrative progresses, it is clear Fran would like nothing more than to connect with people, yet is stymied by her own self-imposed hurdles. That Fran successfully clears at least one of those hurdles before the film ends is a significant personal victory, and it gives her a reason to keep moving forward.
