Bottom line: A fresh African-American comedy.
PARK CITY -The coming-of-age of an African-American college student in Georgia makes for a fresh and funny take on the familiar formula of a young man looking for his way in life. Not only are the characters original but the setting is a far cry from the mainstream. Likeable performance in the lead by writer-director Hadjii gives the film an exuberance that propels it over some pedestrian patches. Sufficient yuks, though, could translate into some crossover action for an adventurous distrib.

Scotti (Hadjii) is the kind of student who injects oranges with a syringe of vodka, freezes them and takes them to class for refreshment. So he has some smarts but hasn't yet discovered how to apply himself. He wanders aimlessly with his buds from school to the next drink or party. When his pals decide to stage an intervention for Scotti and he is late in showing up, the only thing to do is break out the booze and weed and party while they wait.

With the film's episodic structure, Scotti bounces from the two poles of black life-the church and family-looking for a clue how to be a man. Unfortunately, most of the comedic cast of characters don't have much to offer in the way of advice. There's Uncle Charles (David "Nick" Lewis) who tells Scotti that he shouldn't fix no woman's plate of food, he should get a white girlfriend to do that for him.

Cousin Janoah (Irone Singleton) is just out of jail but not long for this world. But even his demise at the hands of a hostile gang is played largely for laughs. Hadjii is not shooting for gravity or depth, and the broad acting style of the ensemble contributes to the larger than life feel of the film.

Of Jonoah's death, the fire and brimstone Deacon Thomas (Eric L. Register, in a terrific comic turn) says "his love for the happy hour brought him to his final hour."

When Scotti first meets Diva (Kaira Whitehead) in a bar and goes back to her place, she doesn't seem to be a much better influence. But she decides to get serious about her life, becomes celibate and makes Scotti get an HIV test. All this reality baffles him until he figures out how to do something good for himself.

In a succession of set pieces that play almost like comic skits, the film offers some insight and gentle ribbing about black lifestyle. When Diva says she likes to fry chicken, Scotti quips, "high cholesterol, that's a black thing." Hadjii has some fun sending up a white church group that calls itself College Christians for Christ. That CCC isn't the new KKK is it, one of Scotti's roommates wants to know?

Shot entirely in Athens, Georgia, the film has an almost documentary feel enhanced by cinematographer Ousama Rawi's naturalistic lensing, while Eric O. Schusterman's editing keeps the divergent pieces together. Some sequences are charmingly segued by street musician John the Guitar Man playing the blues and gyrating in front of a sidewalk mural.

The film doesn't so much end as it just stops, perhaps consistent with the slice of life attitude, but not entirely satisfying as a conclusion. But what links Scotti and all these folks together in the larger scheme of things, is that they are all on their way to being somebodies.

SOMEBODIES
A Kohn/Kohn Production
Credits:
Director: Hadjii
Writer: Hadjii
Producers: Pamela Kohn Nathaniel Kohn
Executive producers: Ben Fuller, Dale Davis
Skeet Wilingham, Lee Epting, Eugene Younts, Michael L. Davis, William Keys
Director of photography: Ousama Rawi
Production designer: Andy Rusk
Music: Paul Grabowsky
Editor: Eric O. Schusterman
Cast:
Scottie: Hadjii
Diva: Kaira Whitehead
Reverend Hill: Tyler Craig
Uncle Skeeter: Carlos Davis
Aunt Agnes: Patt Brown
Uncle Charles: David "Nick" Lewis
Marlo: Nard Holston
Aunt Eva: Amber Chaney
Hammer: John "Doo-Doo" Brown
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 89 minutes