Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

What If Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 17, 2014

The old adage that says "love is patient" has found its modern world definition in What If, Director Michael Dowse's (Goon) story of a relationship that seems in a perpetual state of blossom, not full realization. Starring Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe and Ruby Sparks' Zoe Kazan, the movie is about compatibility in today's global yet still in many ways intimate world and the obstacles that stand in the way of a flourishing romance and the challenging realities of life and career that get in the way of "happily ever after." The film plays smart but never too smart, predictable but still whimsically inviting, straddling the line between friendship and romance, of comedy and drama, of yes and no with a confidence and understanding of its characters and their circumstances that bring them closer while still keeping them apart. It's a welcome change of pace from otherwise cookie-cutter modern romances and the usual sort of slapstick humor that never gets to the heart of the matter quite like What If proves continuously capable of reaching.

Work it out.

Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), a medical school dropout who long ago dumped his last girlfriend, has been skirting by at a dead-end job and living with his longtime roommate Allan (Adam Driver). At a party where Allan meets the girl of his dreams (Mackenzie Davis), Wallace meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan), a graphic designer. After some literal plays on words with a cluster of refrigerator magnets, the two instantly click. She gives him her phone number but moments later drops the "my boyfriend..." bomb. A dejected Wallace later tosses away her digits but a chance meeting at a screening of The Princess Bride -- which they attend alone -- reconnects them. Their relationship continues to blossom, even under threat of Chantry's U.N.-employed boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). When Ben is assigned a lengthy overseas posting, Wallace and Chantry further develop their relationship, a relationship that's going swimmingly on the inside but that can't seem to break through on the outside.

The film serves as a charming and sometimes meaningful reminder that love doesn't just happen at first sight and doesn't always grow over time. Sometimes it does both, sometimes it does neither, sometimes there are blinders -- work, another relationship -- that keep one, or both, parties from realizing the full potential of potential love. What If plays with all of these ideas, with a relationship that seems destined for the romance hall of fame on the inside, but outward forces and the couple's own outer defenses don't allow for it to grow as exponentially fast in reality as it seems to grow under cover in the heart and soul. That's where the film really finds its stride, in walking that tightrope between inner feelings of pure love and outer feelings of "wait a minute, this can't be right because everything else says it's wrong." It's about the inside keeping a relationship close while the outside tries to push it away. It's about the subconscious working overtime, fighting to keep that crucial outward relationship stable while those two beating hearts and those two destined souls, both drowning in anticipation, just wait for life to intervene and allow for that opening where the guard comes down and everything finally falls into fairy tale place.

While the story is nicely developed and appropriately paced, it's the cast that helps push it forward and give it a believably nonchalant and airy yet at the same time heavy and deep meaning and purpose. Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan share a lovable screen chemistry, filled with awkward moments meant to keep their distance but that really help them remain closer together, knowing gazes that tell the story without saying a word, humorous situations that threaten to turn the relationship from "flourishing" to "disaster," and deeper, more contemplative moments that signal something better at work than a simple friendship. Their natural vibe impresses across a broad spectrum of verbal exchanges. Whether discussing the feces of departed celebrities (it makes more sense in the movie) or digging through the deepest secrets of life and love, theirs proves a natural pairing that more than anything else beyond the core story makes it tick. The picture's supporting cast is good, but everyone plays second fiddle to the perfectly cast leads that eat up the screen like Elvis pushing down a Fool's Gold sandwich (boy, those look really good but sound really gross...note to self...pick up the ingredients and get the bottle of Tums ready).

What If Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

What If's 1080p transfer isn't much of a looker, at times, but it is technically polished and proficient. Sony's Blu-ray presentation, sourced from an HD video shoot, offers generally tight, detailed surfaces, with brighter outdoor scenes, as always, showing more intimate features when compared to lower light nighttimes and exteriors. At its best and brightest, the transfer reveals the most intimate facial and clothing lines with ease, from pores and makeup to Radcliffe's beard stubble. One notable and very well defined scene takes place in chapter nine, revealing Chantry's straw hat with impeccable definition. Details do, however, favor a slightly more pasty look in darker shots. Colors, likewise, are best enjoyed in the bright sunshine. There's more pop and definition there as opposed to some murkier, flatter nighttimes and lower-light, warm interiors. One exception comes in the shape of nighttime city lights which practically pop, a perfect example being a scene in which Wallace and Chantry chat after seeing The Princess Bride. Black levels are fairly stable but do show a slight push towards paleness in places. Otherwise, the image appears blemish-free and a pleasure to watch.

What If Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

What If features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's not much more than music and dialogue. The musical foundation is frequently a strength, with tremendous stage presence, faultless definition, and rich clarity, whether when discussing light piano strokes, wedding organ notes, or heavy dance club beats. The latter is particularly immersive and pleasurable with a noticeably strong low end accompaniment. Minor city din helps to better define some locations, and moody beachside ambience sonically shapes a few key moments. Otherwise, this is predominately a dialogue intensive track. The spoken word enjoys firm, accurate center placement and natural clarity.

What If Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

What If contains several featurettes and a selection of deleted scenes. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will also find a UV digital copy voucher.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): We're Just Friends (0:51), Not Talking (3:31), and Fought Back (1:17).
• Blurred Lines (1080p, 3:58): A basic plot and character overview.
• Behind the Scenes of "What If" (1080p, 18:07): A more detailed piece that looks at the Romantic Comedy genre, the picture's core foundation, story origins, character details and plot lines, shooting locations including Toronto and Dublin, production specifics, technical details of the shoot, the significance of the Fool's Gold sandwich in the film, and more. The piece features a good bit of behind-the-scenes footage to go along with cast and crew interviews.
• Opposites Attract (1080p, 3:52): This piece examines characters and the cast.
• A Modern Love Story (1080p, 4:04): A short plot recap followed by another look at cast and actor chemistry. Also included is a brief look at Director Michael Dowse's work.
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

What If Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What If doesn't redefine the Romantic Comedy/coming-of-age Romance movie, and not even that style of movie set against a modern backdrop, but it does reinforce everything that can be very good about it, helped tremendously by its perfectly paired leads and a solid supporting cast around them. It's fun and carefree but at the same time contemplative and purposeful, a well-balanced Comedy/Drama that's more about real people and a real, long-burgeoning relationships and less about recycled jokes and overzealous sex scenes. Sony's Blu-ray release of What If offers solid video and audio to go along with a nice little assortment of extras. Recommended.