Isn't It Romantic
Directed by: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Written by: Erin Cardillo and Dana Fox & Katie Silberman
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, Brandon Scott Jones, Betty Gilpin, Jennifer Saunders
Comedy/Fantasy/Romance - 88 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 13 Feb 2019
Written by: Erin Cardillo and Dana Fox & Katie Silberman
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, Brandon Scott Jones, Betty Gilpin, Jennifer Saunders
Comedy/Fantasy/Romance - 88 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 13 Feb 2019
Isn’t It Romantic claims it knows the romantic comedy. It rattles off the surface characteristics, the idiosyncrasies, and the implausibilities. But just because the film attempts to set itself apart as the next level of rom-com because it mocks its predecessors, Isn’t It Romantic is not as out there as it advertises itself. Make fun of rom-coms all you want, but your film is as standard as they come; specifically, you’re a Metaphysically Impossible premise with two extra ingredients, a love triangle and a wedding. In other words, Isn’t It Romantic is 13 Going on 30 with a dash of My Best Friend’s Wedding and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Rather than separating itself from its Pretty Woman forefathers, Isn’t It Romantic is as basic a Mamma Mia as they come.
Young Natalie’s mom appears to be represent the tough love school of child-rearing - no time for Disney princesses or Hollywood Boulevard hookers pulled up to billionaire status by a lost Lotus Esprit driver. “Forget about men, forget about love - love’s not a fairy tale, and there’s not always a happy ending.” She lobs these truth grenades at her pre-teen to build her self-defense shields. Mom believes the world will not be kind to mature Natalie (Rebel Wilson, How to Be Single). This assumption is based purely on looks. Natalie isn't built like a Disney princess. The mean New York City streets remind Natalie of this when the owner of a runaway hot dog cart yells at her to stand fast so she can stop the cart - “You’re built like a cement truck” he yells. Prince Charming never spoke more romantic words.
Young Natalie’s mom appears to be represent the tough love school of child-rearing - no time for Disney princesses or Hollywood Boulevard hookers pulled up to billionaire status by a lost Lotus Esprit driver. “Forget about men, forget about love - love’s not a fairy tale, and there’s not always a happy ending.” She lobs these truth grenades at her pre-teen to build her self-defense shields. Mom believes the world will not be kind to mature Natalie (Rebel Wilson, How to Be Single). This assumption is based purely on looks. Natalie isn't built like a Disney princess. The mean New York City streets remind Natalie of this when the owner of a runaway hot dog cart yells at her to stand fast so she can stop the cart - “You’re built like a cement truck” he yells. Prince Charming never spoke more romantic words.
Natalie may not have suitors lined up outside her door, but she’s taking care of herself. As an architect holding her own in a firm doing well enough to attract clients interested in constructing large buildings, Natalie is in charge of designing parking garages - nothing flashy, but a utilitarian necessity. Natalie’s co-workers and rom-com cheer squad, including her space cadet secretary, Whitney (Betty Gilpin, True Story), and not so secret admirer, Josh (Adam Devine, The LEGO Batman Movie), diagnose Natalie as ‘blind to love’ - it could be staring at her in the face and she wouldn’t see it because of her bulletproof defense mechanisms. Explaining to Whitney, who is addicted to watching rom-coms at work, why the entire genre is a scam and preys on the meek, Natalie shares an opinion I have trumpeted for years when Whitney affirms, “Sweet Home Alabama is a masterpiece!” “A masterpiece of shit!” Natalie corrects her. By God, that movie is a masterpiece of shit - way to go Natalie!
After Natalie gets bonked on the head and wakes up in rom-com world (very similar to how Taraji P. Henson earns her What Men Want powers), where the light is brighter, the streets are cleaner, and everyone is both far better looking and a walking stereotype, did I finally understand why director Todd Strauss-Schulson spent the first 20 minutes annoying the audience with handheld shaky cam. The real world is jittery and full of bumps and burps. Thank God the plan was to juxtapose real life versus perfect rom-com world where the camera is on a tripod and moves with fluid purpose. Much better. Natalie finds herself in a peculiar situation; she is a non-believer stuck in an earnest, heart on its sleeve world continually swept off its feet every five seconds. Yet it is also poorly written. We get it. Natalie is frazzled, she cannot wrap her head around her predicament, but move the hell on already! After 30 minutes of her questioning, and exclaiming, and pinching herself; at some point, she will have to accept her circumstances so the story can stumble forward. Jennifer Garner accepted she was now 30 years-old pretty soon and that film benefited from the breeze which propelled it after that. Natalie is dead weight on the pacing here.
Fake rom-com world is more cute than hysterical. Natalie has an enormous apartment, a delightful gay neighbor who has no life of his own, but is always present when needed, and a fantastic break out in song moment with perfect choreography - as the best rom-coms do. But it also has gems like, “I’m stuck in a mother ****ing romantic comedy! And it’s PG-13!” The bleep sounds to remind Natalie and us there are rules. The camera also leaves the drab sidewalks it was glued onto and soars above and around the Brooklyn Bridge. When Natalie and her new beau, Blake (Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2), walk to a coffee shop, they do not just arrive there, but the camera swoops down like a fast-forward crane shot because everything must have that extra quirk.
Natalie learns her lesson. The bump on the head is exactly what she needs to break out of her rut, walk with confidence, and maybe find both self-respect and a boyfriend along the way. If it weren’t for the continual, eye-rolling episodes of, “I cannot believe this is happening to me” and a bit more focus on Natalie as a human being, Isn’t It Romantic perhaps could have risen above its peers in quality rather than mocking them, but remaining on their level. Wilson is strong enough to carry a film, but like any rom-com worth its salt, the second-tier supporting characters, such as Brandon Scott Jones as Donny the gay neighbor, and Betty Gilpin as the wallflower, are funnier and more enjoyable to be around. Mockery and pointing fingers create decent one-liners, but they do not make a better film than what they are joking about.
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