Isn't It Romantic

Image credit: Wikipedia

Living in the age of streaming I have to admit that there are two things I love about having Netflix. 1) It’s an endless plethora of mindless movies that are not worth the price of a ticket and 2) there’s some really good original content. While a lot of emphasis is put on TV shows to encourage binge watching, occasionally one will find a cute little movie that adequately whiles away the boring hours of the afternoon. Netflix’s newest rom-com is one such example.

Isn’t It Romantic tells the story of Natalie (Rebel Wilson), a cynical and self-hating architect who spends a fair amount of her office hours deconstructing romantic comedies and informing her assistant why they are so terrible. However, her attitude towards romance changes abruptly when she ends up in hospital after a mugging and wakes up in a parallel universe in which her life is a rom-com. Deciding that the only way home is to get a man to fall in love with her, Natalie treads the clichéd and familiar path of rom-coms, only to discover that the love of a man is not the only love she needs.

A fresh, but really obvious take on the rom-com genre, Isn’t It Romantic is a cute social commentary and funny depiction of cultural attitudes, whilst at the same time pushing a different message to its audiences about independence, self-love and self-respect. A Cinderella story without the slipper or the prince, the film perfectly captures the vibe of a romantic comedy and highlights the ridiculousness of it, which gives the film its cynical and ‘witty’ edge. 

Image credit: Book and Film Gobe

Whilst being obviously different, it’s also a little predictable; going after the big clichés in such a way that makes their deconstruction obvious and affords no fresh surprises. But aside from that Isn’t It Romantic combines cynical social drama with romantic comedy on steroids and it proves to be a fun way to pass the time. Rebel Wilson has fast become America’s comedic darling, especially after her success in Pitch Perfect and while this is a different movie style for her, she pulls it off really well.

If you’re after something fun and bright with a “really awesome musical number, for no apparent reason” (Emma Stone, Easy A) to while away the afternoon, check out Isn’t It Romantic.

Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, 2019

Cast: Rebel Wilson, Adam Levine, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, Brandon Scott James, and Jennifer Saunders