Et (beaucoup) plus si affinités

The summer of 2014 hasn't seen as many strong independent films like last year. However, in the final days of the summer movie season comes Michael Dowse's "What If", a smart and charming romantic comedy. It's a well written film about Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) who becomes friends with Chantry (Zoe Kazan) who is with her long time boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). Wallace and Chantry develop feelings for each other and struggle with what to do. It sounds cheesy and boring, but don't miss this film.

Elan Mastai's script is sharp and never over extends it hand. It combines several kinds of humor, from slapstick to witty. Mastai's screenplay balances all these humors well while also getting to the heart of the situation. The film has depth and mature conversations about romance and what to do when stuck in a love triangle.

The film is also well cast. Radcliffe feels very natural in the role. It's nice to see him play an everyday man instead of some epic famous character. Radcliffe is good at both and this film proves it. He also has good chemistry with Kazan. Radcliffe and Kazan are balanced well with Adam Driver's Allan and Mackenzie Davis' Nicole. Driver is hilarious and steals the scenes. All of them fit their parts very well and give the film its charm.

The story can be predictable and maybe a bit forced at times, but its heart warming and grows on you. It uses artistic and visual motifs well and feels well rounded and complete. The film also has a nice indie rock soundtrack that fits right in. "What If" seems like a nice blend between " (500) Days of Summer" and "When Harry Met Sally...".

The romantic comedy genre seems to be criticized a lot. There are plenty of junk films in it, but "What If" is a gem. It's well written and acted and is able to balance many kinds of humors to please many people. "What If" is a romantic comedy done right. It is a nice little treat at the end of a blockbuster filled summer.

'What if' is about Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), a heart broken medical school dropout who meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan), an animator and Wallace's love interest. The moment they meet, Wallace is in love. Unfortunately for him, Chantry is already in a serious relationship and just wants to be friends.

Like most movies of this genre, you can for the most part guess how this movie progresses. However, that didn't really matter as the movie was fun and quite enjoyable. Most of the jokes were witty and didn't feel forced. All the relationships in the movie were enjoyable to watch as well. All the actors did a great job as well.

At the end, I had a good time watching this movie. It was a good fun movie.

"I will look, if you'll look"

-Chantry

It's been a long while since i first heard of the this film, it was more than a year ago when it premiered at Toronto. God damn it's been a year and this year's edition is already gone. It's the biggest film festival of the year, of all the pictures that were there i have now seen a massive fifty, which tells a lot about the Festival's quality (since most were good). Though more than done a year ago, the film has only been recently released with a nice warm embrace from critics and audiences. I didn't expect one of the year's best but still hoped it would be a worthy romantic comedy.

What If is Directed by Michael Dowse and it stars Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Rafe Spall, Megan Park, Adam Driver, Jemima Rooper and Sarah Gadon. "WHAT IF is the story of medical school dropout Wallace, who's been repeatedly burned by bad relationships. So while everyone around him, including his roommate Allan seems to be finding the perfect partner, Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry an animator who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben. Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship. Still, there is no denying the chemistry between them, leading the pair to wonder, what if the love of your life is actually your best friend?"

Well What If does end up being a worthy romantic comedy i guess. This meaning that's entertaining and charming enough to be worth a watch, no questions asked but i don't really know if it can be much more. I did have an overall good time with it, the movie has enough laughs and the stars are quite brilliant too, the thing though is that i felt as though i had already seen it. This is a fine time at the movies but it does feel way too predictable and overly familiar.

It makes me sad not to really like this feature because, you know, i actually really wanted to. Mainly because of the two leads who are quite charismatic and have a good on screen chemistry, but also because it's so clear that the film's intentions are good and that made me overlook some flagrant flaws. And the movie has many of those.

I'm having a battle within me right now, a battle between my cynical and cold side who thinks (and rightfully so) that this picture is way too familiar and foreseeable and the other side of me who was quite entertained and charmed by these characters and performances. In the end i think i met somewhere in the middle. Because albeit this is always an enjoyable film to be watching, i did get some moments where i couldn't help but to roll my eyes. It's full of clichés and it's a shame. Full of sub-plots (and the premise too) and supporting characters that felt way too conventional and plain. I mean really the supporting characters though amusing, are little more than card board pieces in the movie's screenplay.

So yeah the film is basically saved by it's two lead performances from Potter Daniel Radcliffe and Ruby Sparks Zoe Kazan. I really liked both here and i thought they were also good together on screen. Radcliffe plays his characters well, never makes him too weird or annoying, he gets the right tone of his character. Zoe Kazan is just so cute...i mean how could you not like her. Big blue eyes, i had already liked her in the better and more original Ruby Sparks and she once again charms the screen.

What If is undeniably a pleasant movie going experience but unfortunately it does fall short from being much more than that. The two lead performances and a screenplay that ha some funny gags in it, elevate a material that's overall not that great and was made with an approach that wasn't really that inventive. Still i had a good time and i would feel a bit guilty giving a negative score to a film that didn't impress but didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth either.

Rating:C+

It doesn't use an original idea nor does it stay clear from the usual RomCom tropes and the plot is sort of predictable. But even though it has all the ingredients for a derivative flick it feels fresh and is quite entertaining. Mainly it's because of Radcliffe and Kazan, the more original dialogues and by staying clear from slapstick comedy. Also the story by itself feels convincing as a whole and the characters stay consistent and relatable for the most part. Though, by the end you also recognize that they slandered a lot of potential by going the usual RomCom route. It could have been better by doing a few things differently, which I'm not going to name here to avoid spoilers.

Bottom line, if you like RomComs then you will probably like this one. If you don't like the genre at all you may still find this one bearable enough to sit through it next to someone.

I went to a screening of the F Word at the Toronto International Film Festival and I can say I had a good time (I can also say that Daniel Radcliffe is much much shorter in person than what you would expect.) I wasn't sure what the story was or what type of movie it would be and from the director of Goon and Fubar, I probably wouldn't have expected a romantic comedy, but as it turns out it was and I quite enjoyed it.

The film tells the story of Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) and Chantry (Zoe Kazan) who meet at a party when Wallace finally gets over being dumped over a year ago and goes back into the world. He soon finds out that Chantry has a boyfriend but the two of them decide they'll give a go at being friends. Both characters are somewhat awkward and seem to have little friends outside of Allan (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Mackenzie Davis). Their best friends are common friends but for some unknown reason they had never met before, probably due to Wallace being somewhat emotionally unstable and completely shut off in his apartment for months on end.

The film is predictable overall but still brings some fresh moments. I absolutely love Adam Driver and he plays more or less the same character he plays on Girls but it was great to see him here. The characters are lovable in their awkwardness and shyness and you do hope for them to get together. They're also quite believable. Wallace was in med school but dropped out (still because he got dumped honestly, Wallace can't really handle being dumped) and now works at an alienating low end job, while Chantry has that girl next door look and works in an animation studio, with pressure to accept a promotion she's not sure she wants.

The film is cute for sure, but also really funny at times. I'm not a huge fan of Daniel Radcliffe to begin with, having seen him only in the obligatory Harry Potter series and the Woman in Black but he was quite good, and different. It's a bit slow but I can't say that was an issue for me. Toronto is featured a lot as the film was shot and takes place there (for once, they're not pretending it's New York) so it was great to see the city.

While there is no release date set, the director said the movie should come out around Valentine's Day so by all means, if you're looking for a fun comedy to watch, go see it. It's way better than most movies that come out for the holiday and it's one I believe both women and men will enjoy.