(Dir Michael Dowse 2013)
Rated PG-13 I usually cannot watch rom-coms at all. There's typically too much awkwardness and I get second hand embarrassment and I just can't do it. This movie successfully kept the awkwardness of the situation, but kept it light and humorous enough that I didn't feel like cringing into my seat the entire time. Is this movie guilty of being of having a stereotypical manic pixie dream girl (though personally I think she has a little more depth to her than that) as the love interest? Yes. Do I love it anyway? Yes. Here's the situation: Wallace and Chantry meet at a party, instant connection, the issue? Chantry has a boyfriend and just wants to be friends. From here on to the movie focuses around the question, can men and women just be friends? This movie didn't shy away from that idea. Wallace and his roommate, who also happens to be Chantry's cousin, spend a lot of time discussing the situation and what one can even do. The options, as presented by them, are: be pathetic, be manipulative, or move on. If a person tries to be friends with someone they have feelings for, is there any way they can do that without somewhat becoming the bad guy? Either you become the pathetic piner, you know the "nice guy" who constantly wonders why the girl will only date jerks and just waits for the girl to notice that you're actually perfect for her. Or you become manipulative and try to break the girl up with her boyfriend so that she will date you. OR you move on, stop torturing yourself and distance yourself from her. This movie wrestles with these ideas, as Wallace doesn't want to choose any of the options. It also doesn't shy away from either of the character's flaws or mistakes in this situation. This serious emotional turmoil is kept light-hearted by the meddling of comical friends and hilarious situations making it enjoyable to all. This is an amazing movie to watch if you need something light, but still amazingly executed and thought provoking. If you liked the Big Sick, you will also like What If. You actually may notice that the actress who plays Chantry, Zoe Kazan, also plays the female lead in the Big Sick. The actors in this movie were amazing. This is the kind of role that Adam Driver was meant to play, a comical, crass, but good hearted guy. Not whatever kind of neo-nazi situation they have him doing in Star Wars. Despite how much I hate his character in Star Wars, honestly it just shows how good of an actor he is. He can successfully play a character I absolutely despise, but also turn around and play a character I love. Daniel Radcliffe is, unsurprisingly, spectacular. They don't shy away from his background and don't try to make him play an American, which I loved. It's terrible when a good movie is ruined by a just not quite convincing accent, plus it honestly added to his character. Honestly though, Daniel Radcliffe probably could've pulled it off, but I'm glad they didn't take the risk. I loved all the characters in the movie, everyone has their flaws, but it never tries to demonize anyone, which made the movie feel more honest than a lot of other movies with this scenario. Overall I had a great time watching this movie, but it's a movie I'd feel vulnerable recommending to people. It definitely is kind of guilty of what a lot of rom-com movies are with the whole dream girl/nice guy situation. Personally, I think that this movie is kind of above that because of the honesty what the honesty with which it presented the situation. I think the idea of trying to be friends with someone who is in a relationship and you have feelings for is something a lot of people can sympathize with. The movie makes the case for it without unnecessarily demonizing anyone which makes it feel much more true to life than many other films with this same scenario. So personally, I think the movie rises above other movies like it.
1 Comment
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Aubrey KirchhoffI'm just screaming into the void and somehow getting graded on it. Archives
April 2018
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