What If

What If (alternate title The F Word) is the story of medical school dropout Wallace, who's been repeatedly scarred by bad relationships. So, while everyone around him, including his room-mate Allan seems to be finding the perfect partner, Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry, a flirty animator who lives with her long-time boy-friend, Ben. Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship, that includes bonding over their shared love of the film The Princess Bride (1987). Their friendship soon deepens, leading the pair to wonder, 'what if the love of your life is actually your best friend?' How long can they postpone the inevitable?

The F Word is actually the brainchild of a pair of Phoenix Theatre alumni—solo performance guru TJ Dawe and actor Michael Rinaldi. It is based on the 2003 play Toothpaste and Cigars, co-written by the pair. Toothpaste and Cigars was first produced as a 15-minute play-let, and was later expanded into a full-length play that toured across Canada. “I thought they were really true to the spirit of the original,” Dawe told Michael Reid of the local Times Colonist newspaper. “For it to be made at all, and as a Canadian film, is a miracle. I thought they were really true to the spirit of the original. I loved the movie,” said Dawe.

For his part, Rinaldi described Radcliffe as “funny and humble,” saying he’s “perfect” for the role of Wallace—which was originally the part Rinaldi played in Toothpaste and Cigars. Dawe & Rinaldi were approached with a development deal for their script in 2007. In 2008, the script started generating Hollywood buzz and, in 2010, actor Casey Affleck was assigned the lead role. But then it became a Canadian-Irish project, with Dowse as director and Daniel Radcliffe onboard. Beyond their initial work expanding the world of the play with screen-writer Elan Mastai, Rinaldi and Dawes had little creative input on the film project.

Mastai penned the screenplays for the horror movie, Alone in the Dark, and the Samuel L. Jackson thriller, The Samaritan. He has said about What If, “Everyone is an expert in romantic comedy from their own lives. Most of us are never going to be a hardened beat cop who is tracking a serial killer. Most of us are never going to be stalked like prey by an unstoppable supernatural force, but we’ve all fallen in love. We’ve all flirted. We’ve all had heartbreak. We’ve all had misconnections. We’ve all had the stuff romantic comedies are about, every single one of us.”

What If is directed by Calgary-raised director Michael Dowse, whose credits include the rock & roll ‘mockumentary’ FUBAR and hilarious DJ lifestyle spoof, It’s All Gone Pete Tong. Jumping genres with élan, Dowse is in good touch here, except for an attempt at adding a teenage feel to the proceedings by bringing in an animated fairy time and again, as the manifestation of Chantry’s psyche. What If is a twenties’ tale, not a teenage crush. From some great casting to comedy timing, this Kafka and Bukowski fan keeps the interest going, till the inevitable and predictable (what else?) end. Equal credit, if not more, must go to Dawe and Rinaldi for fusing the styles of Neil Simon and When Harry Met Sally seamlessly. There is a hell of a lot of sex talk, but it always stops short of getting vulgar or obscene, thanks to the rendition, which is either deadpan or hilarious. The outdoors angle is obviously the work of Elan Mastai, and to his credit, it does not detract from the stage setting of the play. In fact, one of the most important scenes of the story takes place on a beach. Though the film is a Canadian-Irish production, one-liners and repartee are an integral part of the plot. Thankfully, most of them do not peter down to American clichés. The humour is palpable, even original.

Daniel Radcliffe does not have to be tall to turn in a convincing performance as Wallace. Clarity of diction supersedes his accent, which, in any case, is justified for his character. Zoe Kazan as Chantry is a confused (admittedly), sensual young career-woman whose disarming spontaneity might remind you of Barbra Streisand. Some critics found her unimpressive in Ruby Sparks (2012), which she scripted and starred in. They might revise their opinions after this outing. Strong support comes from Megan Park, Adam Driver, Oona Chaplin (Charlie’s grand-daughter, who is part Cuban) and Mackenzie Davis. Adam has highly unconventional looks and carries a joke with flat flourish. His diction is a bit hard on the ears, though. Speculation is rife about what character is he playing in Star Wars 7.

‘All is fair in love and war’ could have been another title for this ‘love-sex’ ‘boy-meets-girl’ ‘committed-reconsidering’ ‘yes-no-maybe’ tale that is fresh and bubbly, in spite of the age old premise and several takes on it on the stage/silver screen too.

Rating: ***

Trailer: http://deadline.com/2014/05/hot-trailer-daniel-radcliffe-in-what-if-738024/