Kurt Loder Reviews What If and Land Ho!
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Romantic comedies can be so dismally predictable – the implausible characters, the dopey situations, the fratboy raunch – that many people flee them in advance of their actual arrival. Every now and then, though, a happy surprise bubbles up out of the rom-com swamp. What If is one of these, writes Kurt Loder. Like such earlier low-budget gems as (500) Days of Summer, Ruby Sparks, and last year's About Time, this Canadian indie delivers fresh writing, sparkly scenes, and laughs that arise directly out of its characters, who are believably conflicted and thus recognizably human. The story is brisk, unlabored fun, and the actors are aces even in the smaller roles. There's not a lot not to like.