THE REEL: ‘Isn’t It Romantic’ a breath of fresh air

I don’t know if I ever stated this, I don’t like romantic comedy films (rom-coms). Isn’t It Romantic is a star-studded romantic comedy that quite defines the genre; romance and comedy.

Natalie (Rebel Wilson) is an Australian architect working in Manhattan. She hates rom-coms and the idea of love.

Her mother taught her at a very young age that Hollywood romance fantasies are “not for girls like us.”

The main reason I started by stating my displeasure at rom-coms is that my explanation is quite simple: I don’t get the genre.

Most of those movies just don’t appeal to me, unless they’re really hilarious, then it becomes something else.

However, Natalie’s disdain for them is a somewhat scientifically rationale in her mind. She breaks down everything she thinks is wrong about them and goes on to justify with what would be in real-life.

FEELS INVISIBLE

She also feels invisible to the whole world; the company’s client Blake (Liam Hemsworth) treats her like an assistant and even the office manager seems to trample all over her.

So low is her low-esteem that she hardly seems to notice advances from Josh (Adam Devine) who is one of her workmates. 

Her only friend from her solitude life is her assistant Whitney, (Betty Gilpin) whose motives for friendship are questionable as she spends hours watching movies at her station, a fact known to Natalie but intentionally ignored under the pretext.

EMERGENCY ROOM

Right at this point is where the twists start, while chasing after a mugger Natalie hits her head on a pole and wakes up in a hospital emergency room.

The alarm bells start ringing when the doctor comments on the beauty of her eyes and she asks “Did I die? You are way too hot to be a doctor.”

New York suddenly seems brighter and the sounds of music on the street make it seem more surreal.

We are even made to believe the air has a lavender scent when Natalie, confused by the sudden change notices that “New York no longer smells.”

It eventually becomes clear that her life has turned into a romantic comedy.

She is convinced that she has to fall in love with someone so that her world would go back to normal, as is the point with every other romantic movie.

Natalie has every man’s attention and even Blake who barely noticed her seems to find her beguiling.

STAR-STUDDED

As earlier noted the film has quite a number of stars; we even have Priyanka Chopra dropping in as Isabella, the yoga ambassador and model, who takes Josh’s mind away from Natalie.

Tom Ellis, better known as Lucifer Morningstar in the TV show “Lucifer”, make an appearance as the hot doctor. This, however, does not mean that the movie carries the sum of their best work.

The outcome was actually quite the opposite, at least for Liam Hemsworth who comedy doesn’t agree with, in my opinion, and needs to find a movie closer to The Hunger Games, where we can all agree he belongs.

Rebel Wilson never disappoints with her unique performance and comic style which coupled with her whole demeanour and figure left me in stiches several times.

I really give it up to the script writers who brought the character Natalie to life, through her cheeky responses, but it seems their focus ended there and a solid actor like Adam Devine, who should have had more comedy parts, was underutilised.

All in all, it was one worth watching and is on good middle ground between the romance and comedy genre to keep both you and you’re significant-other happy enough to enjoy movie night.

It’s also a breath of fresh air if you find yourself looking for something light and different, you could do much worse.