What If
Director: Michael Dowse
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Megan Park
Length: 98 mins
Country: Ireland, Canada
Wallace is a twenty-something med school dropout with a dead-end office job and no relationship (his love-life took a nosedive after he discovered his girlfriend kanoodling with another guy in a medical supplies closet). But when Wallace meets his best friend’s cousin, Chantry, the two instantly hit it off while making magnetic fridge poems. But the ‘meet cuteness’ of the situation is quickly diffused when Chantry mentions her current long-term boyfriend. Wallace makes an attempt to stay friends with her, but it looks like a little thing called love might get in the way…
Based on the play Toothpaste and Cigars by Canadian playwright TJ Dawe, What If is undoubtedly part of the trend of recent low-budget films trying to re-write the Rom-Com, one of the most perennially profitable yet derided of all film genres. Like (500) Days of Summer and Ruby Sparks (though less ambitious than either), What If is a romantic comedy which critiques its own genre, using fast-paced, funny dialogue and twists on over-used tropes. It creates a love story which is both entertaining and relatable, whilst remaining undeniably safe throughout.
What If creates a love story which is both entertaining and relatable, whilst remaining undeniably safe throughout.
As well as the snappy dialogue, one of What If’s main selling points is that it attempts to deconstruct the clichés of its genre to present a more ‘authentic’ portrayal of modern relationships. It is often very successful in doing this.
Most romantic comedies live and die on the strength of their leads, and in What If director Michael Douse struck lucky with his choices for Wallace and Chantry. Daniel Radcliffe wouldn’t usually be my first choice to play a romantic lead, but he was incredibly likeable as Wallace and handled the fast-paced, mannered dialogue very successfully. The actors were encouraged to improvise on set, and particularly when watching Radcliffe, I felt that he was bringing a lot of his own personality to the performance.The energy he brought to the film was matched by his co-star Zoe Kazan, best known for playing the title role in Ruby Sparks, as well as penning the screenplay for the film. With her bangs and bright blue eyes, she looks like a budget Zooey Deschanel, but her performance is much more successful than Deschanel’s, who been has cornered in the market of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl quirk. It is in part because Chantry is a more fully developed character than Summer of (500) days, but also because Kazan is an extremely talented young actress. Her performance isn’t flashy or overly reliant on quirky charm – instead she depicts a woman torn between her long-term boyfriend and a new guy with just a few well-judged and nuanced glances. The supporting cast were also strong, with highlights including Adam Driver and Mackenzie Davis as Wallace’s madcap friends and Megan Park (who had a kind of blonde Anna Kendrick vibe) as Chantry’s scheming, hyperactive sister.
Most romantic comedies live and die on the strength of their leads, and in What If director Michael Dowse struck lucky with his choices for Wallace and Chantry.
As well as the snappy dialogue, one of What If’s main selling points is that it attempts to deconstruct the clichés of its genre to present a more ‘authentic’ portrayal of modern relationships. It is often very successful in doing this. In a genre where the ending is usually inevitable (guy gets girl and lives happily ever after), it’s nice to throw in a few surprises to keep the audience from getting complacent. And while there’s never any doubt that the happily ever after will happen, the film does manage to keep you guessing how exactly the couple will get together. Whilst the somewhat silly gross-out humour at times distracts from rather than adds to the story, severely blunting the emotional punch of the narrative, the film still succeeds in keeping reasonably on track and hitting the notes you would expect in this genre.
It owes a big debt to other romantic comedies (with (500) Days of Summer being the most obvious example), but What If is still a fun movie with a fresh feel and strong performances. I came out of the preview with a smile on my face, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll feel the same after watching it. What If is easy on its main characters and easy on its audience, but it still feels like a grown-up love story for adults. It may not ask big questions about relationships and fiction the way that (500) Days of Summer and Ruby Sparks do, but it’s still enjoyable film for people who like their romantic comedies with a twist.
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