Isn't It Romantic

Starring: Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, Brandon Scott Jones, Jennifer Saunders
Directed by: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Rebel Wilson) mysteriously finds herself living in a real-life romantic comedy.

Review:

Tim: Isn't It Romantic legitimately has a great concept. It's a major criticism of the cliches of romantic comedies. It's brilliant to have this coming from a woman (plenty of men complain about romantic comedies all the time). I loved the idea of having this woman who dislikes romantic comedies finding herself living one out. The genre produces some great movies, but the majority are lowest common denominator films. It's a major issue and one that is ripe for lampooning. Unfortunately, to really do that justice, you have to be smarter than those films. This movie makes fun of romantic comedies while also falling into the same traps that sink so many of them. That's the inherent downfall here- this is a romantic comedy that makes fun of romantic comedies yet is just as bad as most of them. This movie needed to be smarter, funnier, more edgy, and ultimately, just better. As is, this was a decent effort but is a bit disappointing.

I'm surprised to say that the movie didn't do a great job of satirizing the rom-com genre. Sure, there were some clever nods to Pretty Woman and some humorous parodying of common rom-com cliches, but it all felt like it didn't go far enough. The script took a great idea by had no idea how to fully capitalize on it. The movie needed to prove it was smarter than those movies it laughs at. It fails in this regard. While laughing about predictable, unrealistic romantic comedies, this film delivered a completely predictable and unrealistic story. Yes, there are some great moments where it jokes about things any rom-com fan will immediately be familiar with. The problem is that those moments are too few and far between. The humor isn't cutting or biting enough. The issue here is the execution. What that results in is a movie that's memorable for its central premise, but nothing that happens in the film is all that memorable.

Rebel Wilson was probably the right person for this role. Her brand of humor fits in well with what this story was attempting to do. She's self-deprecating enough and her willingness to look silly for a laugh is second to none. I thought she did a good job in the lead role. Liam Hemsworth was a nice casting choice and he does have a few good scenes. Ultimately, this character is too one-dimensional and felt wholly written to advance the story. He never felt like an actual human being to me. He ultimately doesn't make the level of impact that was needed. Adam Devine adds great humor to the film. I really like Devine and believe he works so well in these smaller supporting roles. He'll never really be a leading man, but he makes movies better. I thought his performance was quite strong. I really like Priyanka Chopra and it was great seeing her here. I wish she had a more complex character to play. Most of the time she feels cliched (I understand that was mostly the point) and her performance suffers as a result. Still, the movie is better because of her. Betty Gilpin didn't really do much. I did think Brandon Scott Jones gave a strong performance was able to show off some range as an actor. As a whole, the cast was fine. It hurts the movie not to have stronger individuals in place, though.

The humor is fine. There's some legitimately funny moments throughout the film. Even with that, a high percentage of jokes don't quite land. This is always tricky for a comedy and although many hit the mark, I wish more made me laugh. Still, it does result in a fairly entertaining movie.

I love the ambition behind Isn't It Romantic. The rom-com genre is ripe for satirical films like this. However, the execution was lacking here. As a result, it feels like the definitive takedown of romantic comedies is still out there. This movie tries and it results in a mostly decent film. You do have to lament the lost possibilities, unfortunately.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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