For Valentine's Day, I decided to go see "Isn't It Romantic" and I was entertained but it was very predictable, which I expect because that was the point of the whole film. I have been a big fan of Rebel Wilson ever since she played Fat Amy in the "Pitch Perfect" trilogy.
Rebel always makes me laugh and honestly, she has so much talent that makes the most minor roles the thriving force of the film. This time around, she was as entertaining as ever but this movie did not showcase her full acting potential. The fact that Rebel Wilson was also an executive producer in addition to being the main actress is extremely admirable and honestly groundbreaking. The fact that Rebel is so confident in yourself was able to shine through her character, Natalie, as well.
Overall, the film, besides being somewhat predictable, fell a bit flat because it followed a very basic plotline without any unique element to it besides the incredible acting talent and the irony of the main character getting stuck in a romantic comedy. Liam's character was dynamic and funny and his acting was great but the chemistry between Wilson and Adam Devine kept the audience engrossed in the film. The jokes in the movie and the overall comedic aspect was very well done. There was a lot of opportunity for emotional scenes but they were very short and not a lot of opportunities for the audience to connect to it.
Having a cast in the film that includes such big names I am sure was helpful in drawing audiences to go see the film and therefore help to generate more revenue at the box office. In addition to that, the fact that this movie was quite literally a romantic comedy I am sure helped to further entice people to go see it, especially since it came out around Valentine's day.
What fascinated me the most is that Rebel Wilson was able to be the main actress for a romantic comedy. Very seldom you see someone who is plus size to be a lead actress in such comedies. Lately, there has been a lot of improvement with Constance Wu in Crazy Rich Asians and Lana Condor in To all the boys I've loved before but this is probably the first time in a long time we have seen a plus sized woman be the main actress in a romantic comedy in a positive and inspirational way.
The message that was conveyed by this film is both inspiring and dare I say revolutionary. The underlying message of self-love and self-acceptance and being able to feel complete without needing a significant other was truly the most impactful aspect of the film.
This film was much more than just a romantic comedy. It was the filmmaker's way of making a statement about the unrealistic nature of romantic comedies and society's expectation regarding what love should look like. Additionally, it was intended to show that the unrealistic "reality" portrayed in most romantic comedies and other genres isn't really all that it's cracked up to be.
