Isn’t It Romantic
Review: 3.5 Palm Trees out of 4 Palm Trees
by: Victoria Usher
Isn’t It Romantic is a 2019 romantic comedy film that was directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson. It was produced by Rebel Wilson, Todd Garner, Gina Matthews, and Grant Scharbo. The story was by Erin Cardillo. The screenplay was by Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox, and Katie Silberman. The cinematography was by Simon Duggan. The music was by John Debney. It was edited by Andrew Marcus. The production design was done by Sharon Seymour. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in cinemas on February 13th, 2019. It was announced on January 30th, 2019 that the film will be released on Netflix internationally on February 28th, 2019. The stars of the film include Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine, Priyanka Chopra, Betty Gilpin, Jennifer Saunders, and Tom Ellis.
In the film, Natalie (Rebel Wilson) is an Australian architect living in New York City. Natalie wakes up after being knocked unconscious and mugged on the subway to find that her world has literally been turned into a PG-13 romantic comedy. In Natalie’s real-life romantic comedy, her tiny apartment is now a luxurious studio apartment, the grimy streets of New York City are now full of bright colors, regular stores have been replaced by beautiful flower shops, and there are pigeons flying up above in heart-shaped formation. Natalie’s best friend at work has now become her work enemy, and a gorgeous real estate investor (Liam Hemsworth) shows obvious interest in her. Natalie’s other best friend, Josh (Adam Devine) is the only one who appears to be exactly the same as before, and the only one who still notices all the good things in her the same exact way he did before.
There are a few moments throughout the film that are exciting in an unexpected way, referencing scenes from other well-known romantic comedies such as: When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, and 13 Going On 30. What really makes this film refreshingly different from other romantic comedies is that it makes fun of the romantic comedy genre while expressing the beauty and importance of real love at the same time. Isn’t It Romantic is a truly wild and entertaining ride.
(Rated: PG-13) (Running Time: 1h 28m)
