What If

Movie Title--  What If

Release Year--  2013

Running Time--  1 Hour and 38 Minutes

Director--  Michael Dowse

Cast--  Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Megan Park, Adam Driver, Mackenzie Davis, Rafe Spall, Sarah Gadon

After Wallace and Chantry meet they puzzle over what it is like to  be just friends with the opposite sex.

Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) is miserable.  He works at a job that he dislikes after dropping out of medical school, he has broken up with his cheating girlfriend and he lives with his sister and her son in Toronto.  After being antisocial for a year, his friend Allan (Adam Driver) talks him into going to a party.  Wallace soon becomes bored after arriving and amuses himself by creating phrases with the magnets on the refrigerator.  

Allan's cousin Chantry (Zoe Kazan) peers over Wallace's shoulder and the two of them strike up a conversation.  Wallace is intrigued by her but after a while she excuses herself.  Wallace goes looking for her after she doesn't come back and sees that she is getting ready to leave.  Seeing that Allan has met a new woman, Nicole (Mackenzie Davis), he asks Chantry if he can walk her home since they are going in the same direction.  Chantry admits to Wallace right outside her building that she has a boyfriend but asks if they can be friends.  After taking her number, Wallace decides not to pursue a friendship with her but soon changes his mind when he learns they have both gone alone to the same movie.

Over time, Wallace and Chantry's relationship begins to grow and Chantry invites Wallace her house for dinner so he can meet Ben (Rafe Spall).  After an unfortunate fall accidentally caused by Wallace that sends Ben to the hospital, Wallace runs into his ex-girlfriend Megan (Sarah Gadon).  Ben is then offered a position to work with the United Nations in Dublin, Ireland for six months.  During this time Wallace and Chantry's feeling for each other begin to grow but as they are pushed toward each other, they push back and soon they begin to grow apart, ruining their friendship, possibly forever.

I really, really enjoyed this film.  This film is almost like an anti-love story.  It is more like a love story for people that don't believe in love stories.  This film is a great look at how men and women try to make friendships work without there being any kind of feelings involved.

Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan did an excellent job in this film.  They did a very good job of compliementing each other on screen.  They work very well together, the only problem I have with the film is Chantry seems to be very desperate to hang on to Ben, almost as if she is stuck in a love-sick state and a few times it felt almost pathetic but as far as Kazan's acting goes, she did a great job.

This is a love story for a cynical person but it is very charming and at times laugh out loud funny.  Free some time up for this film, just Don't Forget the Popcorn!