What If is a movie about a guy named Wallace, played by Daniel Radcliffe, who has dropped out of medical school and hasn't had a very good reputation for getting into stable relationships. Just as he was about to give up on meeting someone, his old college roommate Allan, played by Adam Driver, introduces him to his cousin Chantry, played by Zoe Kazan. Chantry and Wallace seem to have hit it off right away but there was a problem. Chantry had a boyfriend. This was enough to make Wallace hold back his feeling and settle for being just friends. Chantry and her boyfriend seemed to have encountered some bumps in the road and those bumps cause them to end their 5 year relationship. This small, little window of opportunity was something that Wallace was waiting for and he obviously jumped through that window before it closed. All of his wishes and fantasy's with Chantry came true because one year of he made that jump, they were engaged.What If is a romantic comedy that was released in theaters on August 8th, 2014. It was set in Toronto and was directed by Micheal Dowse. The main issue that this film raises is that whether or not it is okay to meddle in someone's relationship just because you have feeling for that person. In the film, you see this in the conversations that Wallace has with Allan. In these conversations, Allan would outline all of the choices and paths that Wallace could choice when dealing with his feeling for Chantry. The choices basically being a) meddle in the relationship and force them to break up, or b) patiently wait for their relationship to run its designated course and then swoop in. Wallace, being the man he is , decided to take the high road and chose option b. The main purpose of this film is similar to the main purpose in every other film, to entertain the audience that has come to see the movie. The major theme in this film is obviously LOVE. Every since the opening credits started rolling on the scene to the moment the ending credits started rolling on the scene the theme of love has all been present in the film. Whether it was finding love, keeping love, or even falling in love.
Personally, I really enjoyed watching What If. I found it to be a fresh of breath air in the romantic comedy scene. Other rom-com films are typically the same story line but with this film I felt as if the scenery and dialogue between the characters offered something new to the table. The conversations were something that was believable and sounded like something that people would actually say to one another in real life. I felt as if the music kinda blended well with everything and allowed the movie to proceed smoothly. There wasn't any part of the soundtrack that was out of place and didn't belong with the rest of the film. Looking at the choice of actor, I felt like the chemistry and interaction between Wallace and Chantry was kinda awkward and offered a realness that isn't seen in the chemistry or interaction between other characters in other films.
This was actually my first seeing Zoe Kazan act in anything. I felt like she has done a good and decent job at portraying Chantry, and am interested in seeing any other film that she has done. On the other hand with Daniel Radcliffe, I am actually a big fan of the Harry Potter franchise. I have read all the book and watch pretty much all of the films, but this was my first time seeing Radcliffe as anything other than the famous Harry Potter. I would have to say that it was a very interesting experience. At the start of the film I had thoughts and bias feeling that he wouldn't do a good job at showcasing Wallace; but towards the end of the film I had abandoned those thought and realized that he did a good job at portraying Wallace.
Just like any other film, What If has both weaknesses and strengths. The strength of the films was that it offered something new to the romantic comedy genre, It brought that awkward freshness that felt real to the audience and allowed them to develop connections to the characters that the actors brought to life. Another strength that film has is the cute and corky dialogue and interactions between the characters. This also made the film relate able to the audience. A weakness that some critics and others have found with the films is that the film resembles When Harry Met Sally. They say that the film is sort of a knock off version of the famous rom-com.
Personally, I really enjoyed the films and felt that it was a cute, corky, and super awkward film. Watch the trailer down below and comment on whether you agree with me and enjoy the film/trailer or not.
