Director: Michael Dowse
This film was released with two different titles: in some places the original title of The F Word was used; in others places, including Australia, it was What If. Not sure why it needed a different title; though maybe some producers worried about the sweary implications of the 'The F Word.' I wanted to see this partly because of my previously discussed fondness for Daniel Radcliffe. I had also enjoyed Zoe Kazan in Ruby Sparks, a rather smart romantic comedy I would certainly recommend.
This film bordered on being too quirky for me, but I managed to stay with it to the end. What If plays upon a similar theme to When Harry Me Sally: can men and women be friends or does sexual attraction always get in the way? The different here is that Wallace (Radcliffe) is attracted to Chantry (Kazan) from the start, and she seems to be as well but she is also attached to her boyfriend. Radcliffe and Kazan have a good chemistry together, so in my mind the film was ultimately successful.
The plot plays with some romantic comedy ideas (the airport run, being forced to spend a night together, reconciling in a public place), but doesn't break the genre. I enjoyed it, though I would have liked to have seen more of the subplot with Wallace and his sister.
This feels like such a non-entity movie...like a b-flick 'copycat' that goes direct to video and no one remembers in a year.
ReplyDeleteI certainly can't imagine it being anyone's favourite movie, or that it will be the film any of the cast are remembered for. Just a fun way to pass some time.
DeleteI will probably remember it as the film where I saw Radcliffe naked bum (though it is not the only film it has featured in!).