Isn't It Romantic | Film Review

Hey Guys x

This is the latest Netflix original movie, and it's one that's been talked about because it has a really great cast and an original plot.

Natalie (Rebel Wilson) hates romantic comedies. They're unrealistic - in what world do people actually get happy endings? Not the one that she lives in, where everyone ignores her and her co-workers treat her like the coffee girl. But when she gets knocked out and finds herself living in the most cliche romantic comedy ever, she discovers that, maybe it's possible for everyone to get their happy ending.

When Natalie first found herself in the PG-13 rom-com world, I didn't know how to take it. Was anything really happening? Should we be laughing? Should we feel sorry for her? Because I did all of these things. I felt like some parts were really real, I was laughing at some parts, and at other parts, I felt sorry for her. Not because she was stuck in a romantic comedy, but the way that she was reacting to having people be nice to her, as if it's never happened before. It was quite sad!

And I just have to drive the point home that they really did well on the 'comedy' part of a rom-com. While it wasn't as romantic as I wanted it to be, it was definitely funny. Some parts might have slipped from 'funny' into 'cringy' but overall, it is a comedic film.

However, I found myself having major problems with the plot.

Near the beginning of the film, Natalie goes on a rant about why she hates rom-coms, spells out romantic cliches that she hates and wonders why anyone watches them.

The problem then, is that the film goes on to suffer from all of the problems that Natalie is complaining about. While it's advertised that the film turns the cliches on their heads, it doesn't do it that much. The only thing that separates this film (the PG-13 rom-com bit) from other rom-coms is Natalie's attitude to everything around her - but her confusion isn't enough to make the cliches interesting to watch.

In fact, I found myself rolling my eyes at things that I love when it comes to actual romantic comedies, and I don't know if this was intentional. For example, Natalie goes on a date with a hot Hemsworth brother, and this scene was played as serious in the film - to the point where Natalie seemed to be enjoying herself and accepting the rom-com world. So was this part supposed to be as cringy as it was?
Of course, it's entirely possible that the scene was supposed to make you cringe, in which case they did a good job with it, because it further accentuates the craziness that rom-coms seem to make normal.

But the biggest problem that I had with the film was Natalie herself.

Apart from Adam Devine's character, Josh, I didn't find myself warming to any of the characters, particularly Natalie, who we were supposed to be connected to the whole time.

The problem with Natalie as a character is that, her entire personality is hating rom-coms. Okay, she likes architecture, but all we really know about her is that she is cynical, we never actually get to know her as a person. Furthermore, when she comes to a big revelation at the end of the rom-com part of the movie, it's so underwhelming. I'm gonna spoil it, because it's not really a spoiler at all. She basically realises that she needs to love herself, but nothing that happened in the entire movie leading up to this moment suggested that she didn't love herself. There was no point when I thought that Natalie was unkind to herself, or that she didn't love herself, I just thought that she didn't love the world around her. In my opinion, to end the movie like that was kind of cheap, and the most cliche thing in the entire film.

Overall, it's an interesting take on the rom-com genre, and you don't have to concentrate on it too hard to know what's happening. But I doubt I'll be watching it again.

5.5/10

Lou