IF – Movie Reviews by Ry!

IF – A Child of Imagination, A Heart Full of Memories

Within the ideas of love and innocence, we look to find purpose … personal worth.  Through the ups and downs, we have a notion to feel bliss within our own thoughts.  There is magic in that touch, one that can provide imaginative ideas in any medium, including film.  When a story touches on those aspects, the gravitas of a situation becomes prudent within the moniker of storytelling.  From potential to fruition, there is fun to be had in an innocent tale.  In this review, I look at the latest feel-good film.  With a mixture of creative appeal and humanistic themes, IF might play it simple … but it is a wonderous tale about never forgetting … to smile. 

In a story about the endurance of life, one young girl will have to recognize what it means to live again … with some help from imaginary friends.  When it comes to a feel-good tale, there are certain aspects that become obvious within its wholesome foundation.  For all the ‘good’ that it aims to be, it is the journey and characters that provide the heavy lifting for enjoyment.  Within its own foundation, this film manages to dance within ominous elements to build towards a conclusion of hopeful moments.  In the beginning, we are introduced to Bea (Cailey Fleming), a young girl who has been dealt a harsh hand with certain familial tragedies. Through expositional montage scenes, general conversations, and plot point moments, we learn that Bea and her father (John Krasinski) move in with their grandmother (Fiona Shaw) in NYC because he is scheduled to have life changing surgery.  From here, we move through a layer of surreal scenes that leads Bea to meet Cal (Ryan Reynolds) and a bunch of creatures known as IFs … Imaginary Friends.  This encounter becomes the through line of the film: Bea finds renewed purpose in discovering new homes for the IFs.  Through this quest like journey, we witness a change in Bea, as she becomes enamored through the personalities of each of the IFs, seeing a genuine belief in the idea of innocence within the moments of hardship and pain.  These interactions provide whimsical moments for the audience, creating a stature of conviction that parallels her own personal hardships that are concurrent with her family.  Even with simplistic writing (and some obvious foreshadowing), it is the imaginative appeal of the creatures and journey that provides that feeling of delight.

With Bea committed to this mission, they come across roadblocks that provide reflective moments through characterized motifs.  As that ‘story mirror’ is placed in front of Bea (and the audience), a shift happens that builds from the colorful personalities to a layer of endearment in personal worth.  As uncertainty moves to probable, it leads down a thematic display of hope, chance, and innocence.  These moments help to trigger certain memories for Bea, leading to a third act of revealed twists, humanistic style moments, a full circle climax and comical epilogue.  IF is a feel-good story that plays within the imagination on a simple message.  If you are a fan of feel-good films, wholesome stories, or creative moments, this is one for you.  I say this is a good time for the whole family, worthy of being on the big screen at the right price.

Full Score – 3 out of 5 (Theater Discount)