IF Review
IF is saccharine and perhaps a bit mistargeted, but ultimately beautiful, fun and enjoyable.
Bea (Cailey Fleming) is back in New York, years after her mother passed away in the city, this time because her Dad (John Krasinski) has a problem with his heart and needs risky surgery. While she awaits his surgery date in her Grandmother’s (Fiona Shaw) apartment, she discovers a gentleman upstairs called Cal (Ryan Reynolds). Bea discovers that she can sees Imaginary Friends, or IFs, and so can Cal. Cal has made it his life’s work to partner IF’s whose kids have grown up and can’t see them anymore with new kids who need them, but it is a big challenge. Bea, terrified of her father’s surgery, throws herself into the work with Cal, bringing her optimism to the task in the face of Cal’s pessimism, and trying in particular to help Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and Blue (Steve Carrell) find connections in the world.
John Krasinski directs IF, and manages to work in just about every famous person he has ever met into the cast. From Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carrell, to Awkwafina, Matt Damon, Vince Vaughn, Brad Pitt and more. It’s a blast just trying to work out who is who!
Ryan Reynolds is somewhat miscast here, playing such a depressive, cynical character without as much rapid fire wit as we might have expected from him. There’s so much whimsy on show it’s a bit odd to have such a dour streak running through the film.
The whimsy is also its own issue. The score grates with the endlessly repetitive happy go lucky vibes. The film plays with your emotions so blatantly and forcibly that sometimes you can find yourself both in tears, and fully cognisant that you’ve been forced to feel this way. The logic is also pretty much non-existent.
That said, the movie is absolutely beautiful. John Krasinski is a lot of fun in his performance, and never fails to put a smile on your face. The cinematography is astounding, particularly for the stuff dealing with New York and with the flashback scenes. Most impressive is Cailey Fleming as the young Bea, who is consistently fantastic and electric as the heroine of the piece. The character design on the array of magical IF’s are also great, with all of them feeling quite cool and different (even if that doesn’t always make the most sense).
Ultimately, IF is a very pretty, very emotionally affecting but emotionally manipulative film, that leaves you quite upbeat and happy by the end. But it’s also a film that is probably a little too saccharine and childish for adults, and too subtle and mature for kids. It might not find an audience, but it is a very clear vision from Krasinski, and has its moments; and that is something to be celebrated.
