ISN’T IT ROMANTIC

US, 2019, 89 minutes, Colour.
Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, Brandon Scott Jones, Jennifer Saunders.
Directed by Todd Strauss- Schulson.

Well, this is a light comedy which might be called an anti-romantic comedy.

It is a starring vehicle for comedian Rebel Wilson. She is always a jovial presence, and always ready to send herself up (while always retaining her Australian accent).

The film opens with her as a teenager, Natalie, watching romantic television in the 1990s with her critical mother (an unexpected cameo from Jennifer Saunders). Cut to 20 years later and we find that she is quite a successful architect, underestimated by the men in the company, with an associate at a desk near her, sympathetic, but prone to be watching romantic comedies on television. She has plans and designs and brings them to the board meeting – with the young smart executive, played by Liam Hemsworth, mistaking her for the coffee-maker.

However, in the office, is a genial young man, Josh, who is, more or less, in love with her. She takes it for granted – and then is worried that his continual gaze in her direction is aimed at a huge advertising poster, his ogling the model, Pryanka Chopra, and encounters in real life at a cafe while out with Natalie and rescues her from choking. It is infatuation at first sight!

Perhaps this review should have had a recommendation earlier in case the reader is thinking that it is a conventional romantic comedy. It’s not, while at the same time, it is. (Amy Schumer did a similar kind of thing in 2018 with I Feel Pretty – but Amy Schumer always gives a somewhat knowing performance whereas Rebel Wilson is always pleasantly ingenuous.)

Natalie and her friend have a long conversation criticising the conventional romantic comedies, everything that is wrong with them, the forlorn heroine, the dashing hero, the catty associate in the office, the falling in love, the music accompaniment – and comments on fantasy and dance routines.

When Natalie has an accident, the world changes for her in terms of how people see her. Of course, she becomes a romantic heroine, Blake notices her and wants to date her, poor Josh is involved with the model, their engagement is announced – and Natalie realises that she must have left everything too late. (And, the sympathetic worker then becomes dominating in the offie to complete the scenario of difficulties in romantic comedies.)

So, we had all the conventions that have been ridiculed, laughing at them while we actually see them overtaking all the characters – even to elaborate dancing of crowds and the leads in the street.

This is a bit of fluff, poking fun at cinema fluff, which makes it all the more fluffily entertaining.

1. The title? Audience enjoying romantic comedies?

2. The ingredients for romantic comedies? Natalie, watching programs with her mother, her mother’s critical comments? Natalie, growing up to be an architect, her skills, in a man’s world, going to the office, mistaken for the girl who gets the coffee, taking out the rubbish, making all the phone calls to fix things? Her friendship with Whitney, allowing her to watch the romantic comedies? The discussion about all the ingredients, sending them up?

3. Natalie, her hitting her head, in hospital? The attentions of the doctor, seeming glamorous? People praising her? Her bewilderment? Going to the office, the clash with Whitney and the parody of the rivalry in the office? The contrast with Blake and his behaviour, appreciating her, affirming her? Donnie as the gay neighbour, the comments about gay neighbours in romantic comedies, Donnie and his becoming more attentive, glamorising Natalie, advice?

4. Josh, in the office, ordinary looking, his attention to Natalie, her reaction to his advances, thinking that he was looking out the window at the glamorous advertisement? His wanting to go out with her?

5. The romance with Blake, her personal reaction, his scene owning the glamour in her? The dating, her dressing up, the restaurants, the chef and his attentions? The effect on her?

6. The introduction of the musical numbers, singing and dancing in the streets?

7. Josh and the date with Natalie, seeing the model and her choking, his helping her, the romance, the outing, the social with Blake, Natalie beginning to realise the truth? The announcement of the engagement? Natalie and her not liking karaoke? The model and her singing? Natalie and the decision to come out of herself and sing?

8. The return to reality? Her ordinary self, her look, her size? Whitney returning to normal? Blake and his attention? Her presentation of her plan for the architecture for parking lots? Her discovery of the truth about where Josh was looking? Donnie returning to normal?

9. The happy ending the romantic comedy, again singing and dancing in the streets, everybody participating?

10. An engaging attempt to having one’s cake about romantic comedies but yet sending them up!