review
isn’t it romantic
Rebel Wilson proves she can hold her own as she lands a starring role in this feel good, hilariously funny romcom.
You definitely need to watch Isn’t It Romantic! It’s a fun, laugh-out-loud romantic musical comedy about loving oneself, appreciating others, and finding your true love living right under your nose. I didn’t like Rebel Wilson’s characters in her other films. She was either too crass, too quirky, or too mean. I remember thinking, what a waste of pretty face and comic talent. But Isn’t It Romantic fits her to a T. The plot is just the right one for her.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqJ-hfOb9Cc
Synopsis
Rebel Wilson is Natalie, a plus-size architect in New York. A low-esteemed cynic, courtesy of her equally cynic mother, she is unnoticed, unappreciated, and basically a doormat in their office. When she knocks herself out in the subway after foiling a mugging attempt, she finds herself in an alternate universe and the leading lady in her suddenly perfect, flowery romantic comedy life–complete with background music and overhead narrations! After a series of self-denials and mishaps, she learns to love herself first before needing anyone else, as well as realizing what she really wanted in a man. When she wakes up, she transforms herself to a strong woman, confident of herself and her architectural skills, and going after the man she really loves.
Get Ready to Laugh…and Wisen Up
I had a great time watching this movie. While it made a parody out of Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman scenes, it wasn’t being offensive–to me, at least. It showed a heroine reliving the 1990 top-grosser movie with a touch of straightforward reality, effectively mixing the ideal with the real.
Along the way, it teaches a few lessons. That while the world and some people in it may turn up cruel and harsh, we can always find some things and some persons that are still beautiful and kind. That for all the world’s ugliness, there is always something to be thankful for.
And the most important lesson of all: if we want to be loved the way we expect to, we should learn to love ourselves first. Not just to accept ourselves: strengths, flaws, and all, but to change what can be changed for the better; to assert our rights and refuse to be doormats of bullies. All these not to please anyone or everyone, but first and foremost, our self.
Joining Rebel in this not-your-usual romcom movie is hunk Liam Hemsworth, the sultry Priyanka Chopra and Mr. Nice Guy Adam DeVine. Brandon Scott Jones and Betty Gilpin played Natalie’s friends, with Brandon providing the pivotal “Eureka!” moment for Natalie. These characters provided invaluable support which further made the film more worthy of my time compared to Sierra Burgess is a Loser.
Sweet, funny but empowering. Oh, and if you love beta heroes more than alpha ones, this movie is definitely for you!
“Isn’t It Romantic” is now streaming internationally on Netflix.
Rating:
4/5
If you’re a movie buff like me and don’t have Netflix, you may want to check out Amazon Prime Video. It has a treasure trove of movies to buy or rent.
Better yet, here’s a direct link to the movie through Apple Movies.
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