Canadian Import

What If

One of the many staples in film history has been the subgenre Romantic Comedies. These films are generally told through the eyes of the protagonist looking for love and the “screwball” events that happen along the way. Of course there are the few that tell of accidental love and the consequences of finding such love. What If (known in Canada as The F Word) is one such movie, but it also explores the day old question…Can men and women just be friends?

After catching his girlfriend cheating on him, Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter series) has given up on love and anything to do with love. Though when Wallace attends a house party, he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan It’s Complicated), cousin of Wallace’s friend and party host, Allan (Adam Driver Girls). A spark between Wallace and Chantry immediately happens and Wallace pounders giving love another chance. That is until Chantry reveals she is in a long term relationship. Wallace, wanting to be a part of Chantry’s life, decides to settle on being Chantry’s friend. As their friendship grows, however, both Wallace and Chantry find it harder and harder to be true to how they really feel about on another. 

As I begin this part of the review, please note that what I am going to say isn’t because I am a guy. I believe that RomComs have become so repetitive and predictable like horror films. Every few years the horror genre reinvents itself, but RomComs remain pretty much the same. On the flipside, however, sometimes the familiarity can be refreshing if done well. That is where What If comes in. The film is very formulamatic and quite predictable, but it is the characters/actors that pulls this film out of mediocrity. 

Daniel Radcliffe (first movie in regular clothes!!), who plays Wallace, proves with this film that he isn’t just Harry Potter. He delivers a good performance, giving the audience someone to root for and showing he has great comedic timing. Playing Wallace’s misogynistic best friend, Allan, Adam Driver is proving to the world why his becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought after actors. With Allan’s sarcasm and horrible advice, Driver takes over every scene he is in with such a strong presence. I was most impressed with leading actress Zoe Kazan. Depending on the situation, Kazan is able to subtly change her personality. For example, when Chantry is with Wallace she is happy and quick-witted, but when she is with her boyfriend she becomes more reserved and quiet. 

Canadian director Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight) takes the helm of this RomCom. I think that Dowse does a great job keeping the tone light and fun. Dowse makes sure that the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. Dowse also accomplishes keeping his lead characters likable throughout the entire film.

The only real problem I had with the film was its pacing and additional character. I just felt that the film took too long to get to the climax and because of this the pacing suffered by unnecessary additional scenes. The character that I am also referring to is Wallace’s sister Ellie (Jemima Rooper), who is only really in the film for five minutes. Ellie provides a look into Wallace’s home life, but in the end she provides no real connection to the story.

What If provides a great point of view from both lead characters, while not degrading their integrity. As said before, the film is formulamatic, but is somehow also refreshing.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time