We’re trying to bring joy and just lift everyone up on Valentine’s Day. ~ Rebel Wilson
The trailer for Isn’t It Romantic explains the premise. A woman who hates romantic comedies gets hit in the head and awakes in a romantic comedy. The trailer also reveals three of the films best jokes while saving a few for the film itself. I’ll do the same, discussing the films’ first hour and avoiding the finale. Vague spoilers will be tagged.
What Works
The art direction is gorgeous. The “real world” is crowded and grungy while the “romcom” world is a candy colored delight. Rebel Wilson wears a series of gorgeous outfits and walks through streets full of flowers, boutiques and dancing couples. The cinematography draws attention to key visual gags while leaving the rest in the corner of the frame for audiences to discover. The world is warm and inviting. A place you’d want to spend your time.
If you feel nostalgia for films of the 80’s, 90’s and early 00’s you’ll find it rewarded here. You will not find references to Love, Simon, Crazy Rich Asians or To All the Boys I Loved Before. This makes sense as Wilson’s character stopped watching romcoms when she grew cynical. “All those movies are lies” she tells us. She then decries a series of tropes that we understand will be enacted throughout the course of the film.
Wilson plays rage, deadpan snark and vulnerability. She gets to exercise her physical comedy skills and [spoiler title=Hide]her singing voice[/spoiler]. She’s a likable protagonist that is easy to root for. That’s not always true in romcoms.
The male supporting cast is funny. Liam Hemsworth is playing a variation on the goofy, self-absorbed hunk Chris Hemsworth played in Ghostbusters 2016. Brandon Scott Jones is playing a gay best friend full of stereotypical sass, joy and a tiny hint of melancholy. Adam Devine’s wacky co-worker never grates. They allow you to laugh at the conventions without scorning the characters themselves. This leads me to…
What Doesn’t Work
The film mocks the conventions but rarely subverts them. Wilson’s character understands the rules of romcoms but not the rules of the world she’s in. She’s left commenting on everything she sees. Why does it smell like flowers? Why do handsome men look her in the eyes and swoon? Once she takes charge she’ll attempt to break the rules… but never goes far enough. If she’d been allowed to go bonkers the film would have higher stakes and allow Wilson to truly shine.
The female supporting cast is wasted. Betty Gilpin’s co-worker and Priyana Chopra’s romantic rival fulfill their narrative functions and little more. Jennifer Saunders makes a strong impression in the opening minutes as Wilson’s cynical mother but is never seen again.
At the end of the day the “real world” doesn’t feel real enough. Wilson’s character claims she feels invisible but in the opening scenes she interacts with zany characters and is involved in three comic set pieces. I would have appreciated a dull day where everyone ignores her at work and she trudges home to her apartment unnoticed. Again, raise the stakes.
In Conclusion
Isn’t It Romantic is not a scalding takedown of romantic comedies and the harmful expectations they set. It’s not Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or 500 Days of Summer. It doesn’t blame Wilson’s initial circumstances on sexism, the patriarchy or chronic depression. Wilson’s character isn’t [spoiler title=Hide]revealed to be mentally ill or dead all along.[/spoiler]. She’s never told to “smile” but she is told to be “a bit more open.” What that means is up to you. Cynicism will not be rewarded.
However, Isn’t It Romantic is an aesthetically pleasing film with likeable characters and plenty of laughs. I enjoyed myself. In the end I discovered the real romantic comedy was inside me all along.