To know how the movie sets this up, you need to understand the plot first (which makes sense when you think about it, or even when you don’t). Cynical architect Natalie (Rebel Wilson) gets a concussion while fighting with a mugger. When she wakes up, she’s not in the New York she knows. Instead, she finds that she is literally living inside a romantic comedy. There’s more to it, of course, but that’s the basic gist of it. And it’s this unique set up that allows the movie to some extra freedom where most rom-coms don’t. Knowing the situation, Natalie is acutely aware of how things are going to play out. And to its credit, Isn’t it Romantic certainly finds some fun ways to play with that.
Unfortunately, it holds back just a little too much to really capitalize on its unique premise. The meta moments are some of the better moments in the movie; there just weren’t enough of them. The movie sets itself as a rom-com that will subvert all, or at least many, of the traditional rom-com tropes. But rather than going full steam ahead, it maybe only goes half-steam. And that’s fine, but you need to hit on the spots you pick; it doesn’t leave you much room for error.
But Isn’t it Romantic misses on these just enough to drop it down to the average rom-com territory. Part of that is, while it does subvert some of the traditional rom-com notes, it does so in fairly obvious and predictable ways. The big one, as is always the case in these fantasy-like realities, is that Natalie has a specific task to accomplish before she can get back to her real life. And it’s pretty clear from the beginning what that is. Maybe this isn’t the type of movie to hide its true motives, but I think it’s always better when you can avoiding clearly telegraphing major plot points.
With all that said, there is still a lot to like. Rebel Wilson is Rebel Wilson, so you know what you’re getting there. Adam DeVine is great in a more reserved role than we’re used to seeing out of him. While I love his over-the-top Workaholics persona, I’m glad to see him finding a more – for lack of a better word – mature path. This is also one of DeVine’s better performances, which is more impressive due to the fact that he relies more on actual acting talent rather than a series of absurd antics.
Being a comedy, you’re probably wondering how funny it is, a fair question. And while there are no true “laugh out loud” moments, the laughs are pretty consistent throughout the movie. There are very few dull moments, which keeps you engaged the entire time. And honestly, that’s really all you can ask for from this kind of movie. And that’s what it gives you, so on that level it’s a success, despite what faults it may have.
But the real treat – and surprise – is Liam Hemsworth. I haven’t seen everything he’s been in, but he’s never really struck me as a comedic actor. But he is an absolute delight here. He is having so much fun with this role, and his charisma leaps off the screen. I’ve always liked him, so it’s nice to see him doing well in a role different from what he usually gets. And it’s not like this is a career-define role by any stretch of the imagination (unless he only does comedy from here on out), but it’s cool to see him expanding his repertoire. Specifically, his constant use of the word “beguiling” is one of the better bits.
Plus, my dude is looking like a SNACK.
And then there’s also this, presented without context.
Surprisingly, my two biggest gripes didn’t much affect my overall feelings on the movie. There is one scene of Natalie complaining about all the reason why she hates romantic comedies. One of the (many) things she mentions is the use of poppy pop songs. In Natalie’s rom-com fantasy world, we hear Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” over and over. And while it mostly worked, I think the movie missed a huge opportunity to create an original song here. This didn’t hurt the movie, but it was a spot where it could have gained a few points. Having a funny, intentionally over-the-top pop song would have fit perfectly with the theme the movie was going for.
The second one is the movie’s one use of the F-word. Being PG-13, it gets a one time pass. A second use (almost always) results in an automatic R rating. As alluded to in the trailers, there is a running bit of Natalie using variations of the F-word, only be drowned out by any one of a number of noises. It’s done enough where you know she will eventually get one uninterrupted F-bomb. And the movie blew it. Again, nothing that hurt the movie, just an opportunity missed.
In the end, Isn’t it Romantic is a worthwhile entry into the romantic comedy landscape, made even stronger by the relatively weak start to the cinematic year. It doesn’t reinvent the genre by any means, but it has enough uniqueness to give it a fun, fresh feel that not every rom-com can claim.
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