Daniel Radcliffe attempts to evade the “Friend Zone” in The F Word

In a film with such scatological dialogue, it is slightly misleading that The F Word referred to in the title of Michael Dowse newest flick is, in fact, ‘friend,’ and not ‘feces.’ Director Michael Dowse (Goon) adopts the familiar narrative framework of a romantic comedy and vamps up this threadbare genre with a young, attractive (and seemingly hip) cast, lewd dialogue, and elements of magic realism. Unfortunately, the demographic Dowse is attempting to appeal to might not be sold on his vision of the lifestyles of 20-somethings looking for love.

Set in Toronto, The F Word, released in the US and UK as What If, stars the loveable Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) as Wallace, a medical school dropout from Britain. Wallace has spent the last year living in a state of self-inflicted solitary confinement while recovering from a painful breakup. On an atypical night out at a party, being thrown by his college roommate Alan (Adam Driver), Wallace meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan). Chantry is quirky, cute and able to keep up with Wallace’s quick-witted dialogue. The two spend the evening discussing monotonous random facts, and thus, make a connection. But when Chantry casually mentions the existence of her boyfriend, Ben, Wallace quickly disregards her as a prospective partner, and dramatically tosses her phone number into the wind.

Fate gets the better of these two characters, and after a chance meeting at a screening of The Princess Bride, they decide to try and be friends. However, it is clear that Wallace wants more, and Chantry spends most of the film pretending not to. So The F Word’s motive is put into motion –  can men and women, can Wallace and Chantry, be just friends?  What stems is a heavy-handed mixture of sexual tension, inappropriate dinner conversation, awkward, fairly unrealistic, situations, and terrible advice from friends.

Dowse embraces our current obsession with technology, revealing a refreshingly accurate portrayal of its role in society. E-mail, frequent texting, and social media, all play pivotal roles in connecting Wallace and Chantry. Dowse’s humour embellishes the idiosyncrasies of millennial dating –  at one point Wallace contemplates the ‘delete contact’ cellphone screen: the metaphorical equivalent of erasing another human being from ones’ social existence. If Dowse were hoping to be up-to-date on his technological references, Driver’s character Alan would have definitely been a Tinder expert. Aside from this minor detail, the accuracy of both the problems and merits that technology grants modern relationships is appreciated and relatable.

Another novel aspect of Dowse’s po-mo rom-com is the influence and impact that the parents of both Wallace and Chantry have on each individual character. Wallace, an adult child of divorce, comes from a background of deceit. As a result, he is insecure and skeptical when treading the relationship waters. Chantry learned of tragedy at an early age, and with only one surviving parent, vows to live life to its fullest potential. The characters discuss their parents candidly, and these scenes seem to be where Radcliffe and Kazan connect whole-heartedly. The context helps to add depth and weight to an otherwise, frankly, nonsensical script.

Unfortunately, where The F Word attempts to be innovative, it fails. Chantry works as an illustrator, and sometimes, her illustrations come to life. Cartoon versions of her character frolic and cry on-screen alongside her real-life human form, attempting to express her inner emotional state. Dowse uses these illustrations so infrequently throughout the film that they feel out of place and clumsy, a mere afterthought to help express the otherwise expressionless Kazan. The script is both morbidly grotesque and sickly sweet –  dialogue seems to spew from the characters mouths as if rehearsed and recited, rather than naturally, or comically. The relationships feel dubious and forced, especially between the two protagonists and all supporting characters. That is, aside from the saving grace of Alan and Wallace’s friendship, which is delightful to watch with its relaxed, organic humour, sexually explicit dialogue and pure charm.

With that said, the greatest disappointment of The F Word is its ending. Everything is wrapped up neatly in a tender, well-structured package that needs serious re-evaluation. Why attempt to challenge a stale genre, using unconventional plot points, if only to revert back to convention? Instead of reinforcing the notion that men and women can be just friends, Dowse leans on the tired, irritating traditional values, honouring the institution rather than trying to really understand what it is like to sift through, connect with and, ultimately, form a relationship with another person, man or woman, in our modern age. There is more to life than sex, marriage and babies, and The F Word sells its target audience short.

The F Word is playing in theatres now.