What If - A Movie Review

Love is complicated. That’s why you have to give it several tries.

Released to theaters in 2013, What If is about a man who is fed up with love. At a party, Wallace forms an instant bond with Chantry. Learning that she has a boyfriend, Wallace and Chantry figure out if men and women can simply have platonic friendships.

Romantic comedies are a popular genre. What If is all about making your love life what you want. I wronged this film believing it would fall on the typical romantic cliches. It turns out, just like relationships, you never know what to expect.

This was Daniel Radcliffe’s first film that was not Harry Potter or fantasy-related. As Radcliffe stated, and I agree, it’s nice to see him in a different role. Wallace is cynical about love. What If gave Radcliffe a chance to expand his talents in comedy, which he was great in.

I have seen Zoe Kazan in a couple of films. Kazan and Radcliffe did an excellent job. They had great conversations with one another. You never know what you'll discover when getting to know someone. It’s okay to have platonic relationships. We need this message regulated in more films.

Hands down, this is my favorite Adam Driver performance. Driver is hilarious! He had all of the best lines and deliveries. As Wallace’s best friend, Allan is not always serious. This is the best romantic comedy that uses the supportive friend's trope. Radcliffe and Driver were terrific working off each other.

Megan Park, Mackenzie Davis, Rafe Spall, Lucius Hoyos, Tommie-Amber Price, and several others lend their comedy talents to this film. All backstories were explored. Interactions are highly important in comedy films. Everyone works off one another to land hilarious cues.

The only characters who were not given enough screentime were Wallace’s sister and nephew. Ellie (Jemima Rooper) is only in the film at the beginning and in the end. She was funny and we also missed out on this sibling dynamic. I know that Driver was meant as Wallace’s adviser, but his sister should have acquired a stronger role.

What If is a comedy. All films have contrasting definitions of comedy. Michael Dowse perfected his own vision of comedy. Comedy that’s based on reactions, background moments, deliveries, edits, and just being over-the-top made What If a great film. There are some bits of dark comedy.

Scene transitions were well-paced, too. Filmmakers thought of creative edits. Scenes are right to the point. We don’t have to see everything.

The dialogue was written well. Some bits of dialogue could have been written better. And the pacing of the story was also good. I wonder if any of the dialogue was improvised. What If is not the most original romantic comedy, copying cliches and storylines from most films.

Locations are eye-catching. Dublin was used as a shooting location for a scene. Filmmakers designed nice interior rooms that instantly captured the character's personality. I liked whenever Wallace sat on his rooftop. It was a nice thinking spot. I did not expect the incorporation of visuals in What If. There is one nice visual that kept appearing in the film.

Don’t be afraid of love. As said in the film, it’s easy to be cynical about love. We all have our own opinions and experiences, but it’s necessary to give love a chance.

I recommend What If. A decent film with cute moments, it made me laugh. It’s a fun romantic comedy that you should watch on your next date night.