A meta movie like
“Isn’t It Romantic” couldn’t exist if there weren’t decades
worth of romantic comedy cliches built over time. “Isn’t It
Romantic” is a satire of the traditional rom-com that has permeated
the American cineplex for years. Of course it’s not the first film
to spoof the genre and it certainly won’t be the last. But it does
so in a clever enough way – even if it’s all a bit too obvious at
times – to make it a rather enjoyable experience.
Aussie funny lady
Rebel Wilson stars as a frumpy woman living in a “realistic”
version of modern NYC. The film opens with Natalie as a kid watching
“Pretty Woman” and her mother insists that movies like that
aren’t real life. Anyone with half a brain knows that. Natalie
grows up knowing that as well – movies are make believe after all.
One day she’s mugged in the subway and knocked unconscious but when
she wakes up everything is… different. Her hospital room is as
gorgeous as her doctor and New York City no longer smells like
garbage. Her apartment is now twice the size and she has an entire
walk-in closet filled with every pair of shoe imaginable. Her creepy
neighbor Donny (Brandon Scott Jones) is now her flamboyantly gay
sidekick, Her nerdy work assistant and friend Whitney (GLOW’s Betty
Gilpin) is now bitchy, steely, and her sworn enemy. But one thing
remains: she still crushes on her guy friend Josh even though
she doesn’t think he’d date her in a million years. Enter the
dashing, and second best-looking Hemsworth brother Liam as Blake as
a company client who also apparently has a thing for
Natalie. It’s not long before Natalie realizes that she’s trapped
in some kind of Twilight Zone romantic-comedy dimension where she can’t
even drop an F-bomb, even though PG-13 rated films allow at least
one.
“Isn’t It
Romantic” is directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and that’s no
surprise because his last film was the equally meta “The Final
Girls” which featured a reworking of slasher movies. That film
didn’t quite work for me in the way that this film does. “Isn’t
It Romantic” isn’t perfect though; for all its charm and wit, it
hits all the basic notes as found in the script by Erin Cardillo,
Dana Fox, and Katie Silberman. It announces all the cliches of the
rom-com genre but then just sort of follows them anyway. But that’s
sort of the point because ultimately the film does take it’s own
turn in the final act which was refreshing. The film is essentially a
“best of” rom-com and yet you actually begin to care about
Natalie and her plight.
Strauss-Schulson and
his cast have such a fun time creating this fantastical world of
perfection that it’s hard not to buy into it. The humor is pretty
biting and Wilson makes for an absolutely perfect leading lady
equally capable of being both sarcastic and charming. Even if the
film is heavily influenced by famous rom-coms, I got a heavy “Wizard
of Oz” feel. The opening scenes are gritty, filled with washed out
colors, and shaky camerawork. After Natalie wakes up the film is
brighter, more colorful, and the Steadicam makes itself known.
“Isn’t It
Romantic” isn’t without faults but it’s a really fun time and
offers plenty of laughs. The premise is rather clever even if it hits
most of the beats you’re expecting. The film does feels like it
offers universal appeal: Those who love rom-coms will enjoy the
rom-comness of it all, and those who find the genre eye-roll inducing
will still get a kick out of it. Wilson is matched with perfect
material here, she gets to be physically funny and offers plenty of
wit herself. Oh, and there are musical numbers. Did I mention the
musical numbers? GRADE: B
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