The romantic comedy genre has a bad reputation. For every Barefoot In The Park, there are dozens of Runaway Brides. For every When Harry Met Sally, there are swarms of Giglis. Nobody sets out to make a bad movie, of course, but it seems that there is, generally, a disproportionate number of them in this particular film category. The question is, will What If (titled The F Word in Canada) be a rare quality entry, or will it end up in the bargain bin with The Holiday? Today, we are one step closer to finding out, with the release of two new clips.
Starring Daniel Radcliffe (Kill Your Darlings) and Zoe Kazan (It’s Complicated), the story muses on the well-worn possibility that the love of your life could actually be your best friend. Based on a play by T.J Dawe and Michael Rinaldi, and adapted by Elan Mastai, the story centres on a young man who is wary of relationships, and has just dropped out of medical school. He meets a young woman in a long-term relationship of her own, and the two become instant best buddies despite – or perhaps because of – an obvious chemistry between them.
Adam Driver and Rafe Spall also star and, if these clips are a true representation of the film itself, this thing might just go the distance. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and was very well received – high praise indeed from such a prestigious event. These snippets give a hint as to why.
The first has Radcliffe and Driver in the midst of a ‘walk and talk,’ clearly discussing the central matter at hand – Radcliffe’s feelings for his non-single friend. The purpose of the clip seems to be a demonstration of the style of dialogue we can expect from the movie, and it is very effective. The two actors deliver the scene with an ease and familiarity that makes their conversation exceedingly natural and, crucially, funny. The second clip is slightly more intriguing, and involves some kind of bizarre recipe, which is obviously a tease for a specific reference that is threaded throughout the film – a great narrative tool that can pay huge dividends in the right hands.
Are the hands of director Michael Dowse the right hands? What If opens on August 8, at which point all questions will be answered. In the meantime, you can watch the clips below.
