Isn't It Romantic? (2019) - Movie Review

You know a certain genre has reached a level of ubiquity when ‘it’s ___ for people who hate ___’ is a legit selling point. Of course, saying that most rom-coms are trope-fests zested with clichés ahoy isn’t exactly controversial; hell, pointing that out is itself a bloody cliché at this point. I myself have made it a habit of pointing this shit out whenever I cover romance flicks, and the ones that I particularly gravitate towards like The Breaker Upperers and even Silver Linings Playbook actively subvert those same clichés. But even with that in mind, given my lukewarm reception to Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine, I wasn’t expecting all that much from this. But finally, it seems like they’re both attached to a project that knows how to fully utilise them.

The bare minimum for a film that wants to poke at genre clichés is sufficient knowledge of what those clichés are, and the writers here certainly know their stuff. Starting out with a lot of handheld camerawork to show the ‘real’ world, the transition to the rom-com world is not only stark but remarkably cool to look at in how lavish it can get, whether it’s a show-stopping musical number or just Rebel’s Nat working at her desk. From there, between the writing quirks for the characters, the tried-and-true machinery of the plot (right up to a climax that involves crashing a wedding), not to mention the editing techniques used in most PG-13-rated (or M-rated, here in Australia) films.

The next step is being able to turn that meta-commentary into something actually funny, which again the film soars with. Wilson is basically the embodiment of every single person who has ever been dragged to go see a romantic comedy by a significant other, constantly breaking down the clichés and stereotyping that the genre largely enforces and continually being aghast at how fantasy New York doesn’t smell as bad as the real thing. As someone who regularly subjects himself to films like this, I can relate hardcore to her thinking.

Opposite her is Adam Devine, who is still in prime mugging form as always, but his place as the stable, put-aside best friend works nicely, helped by just how cute he and Rebel are together. Oh, and there’s also Liam Hemsworth as the avatar of all things wish fulfillment in these flicks, who gets a quite refreshing dressing-down once his more dickish traits present themselves.

Now, as I said before, making fun of these clichés is nothing new. Where the film wins some major points is how it manages to balance its more vicious points with an admission that… well, there’s a reason why people still watch these films. It’s true that some of the tropes of the genre can reinforce unhealthy stereotypes about men and women, not the least of which being the constant insistence that women need men in their lives to be happy, but not everyone watches these films as a reflection of actual reality. Hell, most people enjoy them for pure escapism, a chance to get away from the exhaustion of real life.

And before I sound too judgey about that assertion, there is nothing wrong with escapist media or the people who like it; it’s more a matter of balancing the emotional nourishment they can provide with the admission that there’s a reason why these clichés are not only prevalent, but mocked to hell and back.

It’s a tightrope walk that not every meta-narrative is able to walk, being able to make fun of its chosen genre while still embracing its entertainment value, and it’s one that this film manages to walk with nary a wobble. Aside from making a welcome re-affirmation that Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine are genuinely talented comedians, and giving Rebel a chance to use her musical training on film yet again, it’s a rom-com that has plenty for those who leap head-first into the genre as well as those who have their reservations about the whole thing. ‘Something for everyone’ is usually the calling card of aimless drivel, but it turns out to be entirely accurate with this one.