Ever want to live in a romantic comedy? I expected some raised their hands or nodded in agreement with that. I mean Pretty Woman (1990), 13 Going On 30 (2004) and The Wedding Singer (1998) are pretty much wish fulfilment in that category. Heck, any romantic comedy from the 90s to early 2000s in a labeled a classic one way or another. And this movie has a fresh take on all of them, with the cultural awareness of the 2010s at its helm.
Summary:
Natalie sees a romantic comedy on TV, wanting to be like Julia Roberts. Her mother tells her that romantic comedies are mere fantasies, that no one like them would ever end up being the star of such a thing anyway. With this realisation Natalie, now a successful architect in New York, goes through life hating romantic comedies and the unrealistic expectations and fantasies they have on them. Then one day she hits her head on the subway and is transported in to a New York where everything is pristine, every man woos her and you get the gist.
This movie is so cute! I don’t mean To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) cute with its pastels and absolute adorability of young love, but adult women fantasy where the colours pop and where we, the women, are at the top.
Rebel Wilson as Natalie does a performance that makes you laugh and nod in agreement with her commentary on romantic comedies that really are eye-opening for those who have had them going in to one ear and out the other. She is an absolute treat, looking stunning in rom-com couture and there is a dance and song scene where she can pipe it up with her vocals.
Liam Hemsworth as Blake is pure eye candy and every dream man in a romantic comedy. He should do more of them, or if he has more of them then I must look them up because he truly embraces the dreamboat aspect of his character with sincerity.
Adam DeVine as Josh is everyone’s best friend and only the Desi people will know this but I got a whole lot of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) vibes whenever he was with Natalie on screen. We know what his role is, we’ve seen the rom-coms and he is such a good one to be that supportive best friend that we all want. His chemistry with Natalie is truly something special and the fact that Adam and Rebel are friends in real life just adds to their moments together.
Priyanka Chopra as Isabella who is a model, as well as a “yoga ambassador” and all in all the beautiful and perfect foil to Natalie’s realistic image as well as the eye-candy from the women’s side to Blake’s. She is enjoyable to hate in this as she is the embodiment of the fake-love interest whom we can dismiss and hardly care to root for.
If you belong in to the camp that hate romanic comedies or love them then this is a good movie to watch either way. It pokes fun at them, make homages and embraces them whole heartedly without looking back. This isn’t a roar out laugh, but a chuckle at many moments and most likely a laugh riot with some friends around. I will most certainly watch this enjoyable movie again and again and again…
Thank you for reading!
The Little Corner 