The F Word
What If...

There is a subset of romantic comedies that tell stories about close friends who try not to fall in love with each other, of which When Harry Met Sally is the best example. This micro genre--let’s call it the “platonic comedy”--isn’t easy to pull off because the audience always knows where the story is heading.  Therefor the obstacles the filmmakers place in the characters’ paths to happily-ever-after often feel contrived. But the Irish-Canadian crowd-pleaser The F Word (released in the US and UK as What If…) skirts most of the hackneyed, cloying, self-aware conventions of recent rom-coms by taking itself seriously without loosing its playful appeal. Just like the two leads, played with charm to spare by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks), the movie is delightfully offbeat without being overly quirky, self-deprecating without being insecure. The film is certainly mindful of the movies it’s modeled on (the characters in The F Word enjoy watching movies and talking about them) but never derivative or in love with its own references or insights.

Based on T. J. Dawe and Michael Rinaldi's 2004 two-character play Toothpaste and Cigars, Elan Mastai’s screenplay is careful not to sacrifice the integrity of the characters in service of a big laugh. This emphasis on sincerity is a welcome change from the current swamp of gross-out and/or raunchy rom-coms and bromances that usually devolve into unearned, saccharine sentimentality by the last reel. Director Michael Dowse (Goon) thankfully doesn’t try to be all things to all demographics, and The F Word maintains its blend of PG-13 sophomoric humor and a genuine emotional connection between its characters throughout the entire picture. 

Like When Harry Met Sally, the male and female leads each have a best friend/confidant --Adam Driver (Frances Ha, Girls) and Megan Park (The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Charlie Bartlett)--who are both funny and welcome whenever they show up. Also like When Harry Met Sally, there’s one narrative contrivance that’s difficult to fully accept as the film enters its third act. Dowse also occasionally breaks the spell his enchanting actors cast by resorting to a few cutesy gimmicks that Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron never subjected Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan to, but this movie still belongs in the company of their classic. While not perfect, The F Word is surprisingly satisfying and deserves to be embraced by audiences looking for a good date-movie.