The F Word (aka "What If") Review (1 Viewer)

Penned by Elan Mastai and adapted from the Toronto-based play Toothpaste and Cigars, by T.J. Dawe and Michael Rinaldi, the script creates ample opportunity for moon-eyed fawning and long-distance navel-gazing. And indeed, that's how many of its scenes play out, with, for example, an innocuous shopping trip for the pair ending in a will-they-or-won't-they smooch standoff. But despite the film's tendencies to dive head-first into a veritable ocean swimming with rom-com clichés, Radcliffe, Kazan and the rest of the extremely likeable cast make it work, due in no small part to their off-the-charts chemistry and quirky, earnest and endearing performances.
The film also serves as somewhat of a showcase for the city of Toronto, which has been thrust into the global spotlight as of late, thanks to the unusual antics of its larger-than-life mayor. But unlike the news headlines, there's no controversy here, as the scenes shot in and around local landmarks — such as the boardwalk along Harbourfront, The Royal Theatre and The George St. Diner, which plays an especially prominent role in proceedings — conjure up an air of magic, akin to the New York City scenery in Woody Allen's Annie Hall.

That's not to say that The F Word exists on the same plateau as Allen's iconic 1977 film — which is one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made and arguably the movie that's contributed the most to this current trend of meet-cute filmmaking — but it does have a certain sense of self-assuredness and unflappable whimsicality that dares you not to like it, even though this is the kind of storytelling we've all seen before.

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