“Isn’t It Romantic” is a satirical romantic comedy that pokes fun at other romantic comedies. The movie that’s set to hit theaters on Valentine’s Day stars Rebel Wilson, becoming the actress’s first starring role.
Rebel Wilson plays Natalie, an architect in New York City just waiting for her big break. She is more likely to be asked to get the morning cup of coffee and bagel for the staff than to be a great designer of the next New York skyscraper.
She’s never been a person who stands out in the crowd and from a young age was told she wouldn’t experience the perfect love story.
While watching “Pretty Woman” as a child, Rebel Wilson’s character is told her life won’t be like that for her. “Love is not a fairytale,” her mom told her. “Girls like us don’t get that.” Natalie’s mom is played by Jennifer Saunders.
Once she’s all grown up, she is a true cynic when it comes to love. Natalie isn’t looking for love and doesn’t plan to find it anytime soon. She dresses a bit frumpy and doesn’t give a great deal of time or attention to her hair and makeup. But then she suffers a head injury while trying to stop a mugging in the subway and her world is turned upside down.
She wakes up in a romantic comedy where she’s super girly and well dressed. The men she encounters now seem to notice her much more often. Her apartment has been transformed into a fully decorated and well-matched sanctuary, complete with a walk-in closet full of shoes.
She’s still just as cynical toward love though and seeks a way to get back to her normal life. Instead of being thrilled with the makeover her apartment has undergone, she calls the police to report the incident in hilarious fashion sounding a bit nutty to the person on the other end of the call.
Rebel Wilson’s comedy co-stars
While it’s her first time as the main star of any movie, the role in a comedy is nothing new for Rebel Wilson. She’s starred in movies such as “Bridesmaids,” “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “Pitch Perfect.”
Rebel Wilson is joined by other comedic actors for “Isn’t It Romantic.” Liam Hemsworth plays Blake, a client of the architecture firm where Natalie works. Blake is one of two love interests for Natalie.
While Hemsworth isn’t historically a comedic actor, he and Rebel Wilson share Australia as their home country. Hemsworth’s other films include “Thor,” “The Last Song,” and “Expendables 2.” Blake’s character is quite hunky, and many ladies might be pleased to hear that there are multiple scenes where Hemsworth appears shirtless as he tries to woo Natalie.
Isn’t It Romantic press with these honeys in NYC! Valentine’s Day 2019 gunna be sooooo sweet ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QKGvs3FatL
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) December 7, 2018
Natalie’s other love interest is Josh, played by Adam DeVine. Starring with Adam DeVine is nothing new for Rebel Wilson. Both actors appeared in “Pitch Perfect” together where they shared a love interest in the movie as well.
It’s slightly conflicting for Natalie though because Josh is her best friend. This puts Natalie in a love triangle with Blake, the attractive man most people would call a catch and the man she has been friends with for so long.
To further complicate things, Josh is interested in Isabella, played by Priyanka Chopra. Isabella is a yoga ambassador and quite different than Natalie. In classic romantic comedy form, this creates tension among the characters.
Rebel Wilson’s friend Whitney is played by Betty Gilpin. Whitney is also Natalie’s assistant. The movie also features Brandon Scott Jones as Donny, who lives in Natalie’s neighborhood. Donny is also Natalie’s gay sidekick, who guides her through her adventures in the romantic comedy.
Satire a perfect role for Rebel Wilson
The film centers around making light of the funny situations that romantic comedies create. Everything seems so perfectly in place and Rebel Wilson’s character just can’t handle it. It’s all too perfect for her liking.
To add to the satire, the characters start singing and dancing when you least expect it. It’s a scene you see often in romantic comedies, but one you don’t see in real-life romances, which the movie pokes fun at.
On top of that, the romantic comedy Rebel Wilson gets trapped in is rated PG-13, which frustrates the cynical Natalie greatly. That’s because it means no excessive cursing and as things heat up with Blake, the movie won’t show any deeply intimate moments between the two. The curse words are bleeped out and whenever a scene starts to heat up with Natalie’s love interest, the scene shifts quickly ahead to skip over any sort of intimacy.
Satire on romantic comedies has not been explored before this film. The movie puts a whole new spin on the boy-meets-girl storyline and will keep viewers laughing instead of being a super cheesy romance movie.
Releasing the film on Valentine’s Day might help women convince their significant others to go see the movie to celebrate the holiday. Since the movie isn’t just about love and has some fun with the classic rom-com premise, the movie might have wider appeal than the classic movies in its genre.
Great career opportunity for Rebel Wilson
Becoming the leading lady in “Isn’t It Romantic” is a great move in Rebel Wilson’s career. She’s been a supporting actress in many hit films but has yet to star in a film until now.
Rebel Wilson started her career in Australia. The 38-year-old actress is an Australian Theatre for Young People graduate from 2003. She starred in Australia’s comedy series “Pizza” and “The Wedge.”
Her career isn’t just about acting though. Wilson is also a writer. She penned the musical comedy “Bogan Pride.” Once she brought her talents to the United States, she was quickly cast in “Bridesmaids” where she made a name for herself in comedy.
To further kickstart her acting career in the United States, Rebel Wilson’s performance in “Pitch Perfect” as Fat Amy earned her MTV’s Best Breakthrough Performance Award and a Choice Movie Actress by the Teen Choice Awards.
If you simply read Rebel Wilson’s bio prior to acting, you might be surprised to see her in comedic roles. Wilson holds a law degree from University of South Wales. She served in South Africa for a year as an Australian Rotary International Youth Ambassador.
While in South Africa, Wilson contracted malaria. It was during this illness that she claims she knew she wanted to be an actress. She experienced hallucinations where she saw herself receiving an Oscar for her outstanding acting.
Acting and film may be in her blood. She has claimed to be related to the famed Walt Disney. Her great aunt is Lillian Bounds, who was Walt’s wife until his death. Her heritage to Disney has never been confirmed, however.
Conclusion
Will “Isn’t It Romantic” be the hit of the Valentine’s holiday and succeed at the box office? Only time will tell, but the premise is certainly intriguing for romantic comedy fans and fans of Rebel Wilson and her co-stars.
The film could be the lighthearted fun your sappy Valentine’s Day needs. So gather up your girl friends or significant other and enjoy the satire on February 14, 2019.
