The Reel Review
Rebel Wilson stars in this comedy about a cynical, under-appreciated architect disenchanted with love, who, after a bump on the head, finds herself trapped, of all places, in a rom-com film. Frequent onscreen love interest Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect), Liam Hemsworth and Priyanka Chopra round out the cast in this sweet, playfully goofy comedy.
Director Todd Strauss-Schulson, who also directed the 2015 meta parody Horror Girls, about friends transported into a horror film, does a clever job of poking fun at all the annoying rom-com clichés, with Wilson’s character Natalie desperately trying to figure out how to “find love” so she can escape from her sugary-sweet alternate universe/nightmare. The story is surprisingly fresh, and while the comedy isn’t riotously funny, it is really sweet and Wilson keeps the pace moving with lots of chuckles, including a cute musical number finale. And at just under an hour and a half, the story, and its sweet message about the importance of loving oneself, does not overstay its welcome, making it, as a Valentine’s Day weekend movie, quite beguiling.
REEL FACTS
• Director Todd Strauss-Schulson scoured through 65 rom-coms over a two week period, mining for cheesy rom-com themes to parody in his film. (We will spare you the list.)
• Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine jokingly refer to themselves as work spouses, given how frequently they have worked together as onscreen love interests (2011’s Workaholics and the first two Pitch Perfect films)
• And isn’t it ironic? Chloe Bridges and Nick Jonas, the real life partners of Isn’t It Romantic love interests Adam Devine and Priyanka Chopra, themselves played love interests in 2010’s Camp Rock 2.
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