What If (Rhoades)

Front Row at the Movies

“What If”
Radcliffe
Met Kazan

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Daniel Radcliffe refuses to be typecast as a boy wizard. Despite starring in the “Harry Potter” franchise, the second highest grossing series in film history, he has worked hard at breaking that magic mold.

For example, he showed his twinkie live on Broadway in “Équus.” He played a gay poet in “Kill Your Darlings.” He’s set to play hideous Igor in a new version of “Frankenstein.” And now he’s starring in a movie called “What If,” his foray into romantic comedy.

“What If” is now showing at the Tropic Cinema.

The film’s original title was “The F Word.” No, you naughty reader, F stands for Friend, that dreaded designation in any male-female relationship.

Fifty years ago “When Harry Met Sally” was arguing that a man and woman cannot be friends without sex rearing its ugly head. Similarly, “What If” argues that “the Friend Zone” is the Sargasso Sea for potential relationships.

Here, Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) falls for Chantry (Zoe Kazan) only to discover that she already has a boyfriend, so he has no other choice than be her “friend.” Or not.

Needless to say, the movie is about Wallace trying to escape from the Friend Zone. And no spoiler alert is needed to remind you that this is a cute boy-gets-girl rom-com.

srhoades@aol.com