I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to see this. The trailers made it look pleasant enough, and it was getting mostly good reviews. Then I saw the Entertainment Weekly review that trashed it, giving it a D+ rating. I have no idea what film that reviewer saw, because I am pleased to report that "What If" is easily the year's best romantic comedy, playing within the confines of its genre, yet doing so in fresh and unconventional ways.
The most important factor in any romantic comedy is that the two leads are likeable. If the audience isn't rooting for them to get or stay together, there's really no point. Here, the film shines by allowing them to be well-rounded characters with histories and lives that inform but exist separately from their relationship. These are not cookie-cutter archetypes, but well developed characters we can truly feel invested in. The script and the actors' chemistry make exchanges of witty dialogue actually feel like exchanges of witty dialogue, not like the pretentious ramblings of a pompous screenwriter that so often attempt to pass for cleverness.
The film's "twist" on the formula is that after the obligatory (but well done) boy/girl meet cute, Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) finds out that Chantry (Zoe Kazan) already has a boyfriend (bummer!). He resolves to attempt to be "just friends" with her, an endeavor that anyone who has seen a movie before knows is doomed to failure. While a fool's errand on his part, this is a stroke of brilliance for the movie. Unencumbered by the need to immediately confront the characters with loads of romantic or sexual tension, the film allows them to build a deeper connection, learning things about each other for more than just the purpose of using that knowledge to make a big, romantic gesture in Act 3 to salvage the romance (a variation of this is done, but it is subtler and feels earned). When the sexual tension does begin to seep in, the relationship is developed enough that it's a real dilemma for the characters. Wallace has a discussion with a friend about his options: overtly trying to break up Chantry and her boyfriend, being subtle about it, telling her the truth, doing nothing and hoping for the best, and so on. The emotions and decisions of the characters are given real weight and are several times more effective than the bland (though sometimes effective) clichés in your run of the mill romantic comedy. This film doesn't always run away from the clichés, but it does tweak them enough to make them feel new. There is a "breakup" scene near the end, after which they will either get together for good or stay apart. In this case, though, it's not a literal breakup scene, since the characters were never romantically together to begin with. Instead the scene is the culmination of the tension and doubts and feelings that have been growing within the characters all along.
It's kind of amazing that the film stays engaging for its full runtime. A romantic comedy wherein the leads spend the bulk of the film explicitly not romancing one another should be very tough to pull off, but this film does it incredibly well. It does a great job establishing its characters, making them appealing, and really getting inside their heads for almost 100 minutes. Does it wrap up a little to neatly in the end? Perhaps, but it had put me in a forgiving mood. I questioned before going to see this whether it would be able to elevate itself above standard romantic comedy fare, and the answer to that is resoundingly: Yes it does. Very highly recommended.
A
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