IF, 2024.
Directed by John Krasinski.
Starring Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Bobby Moynihan, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina, and Steve Carell.
SYNOPSIS:
After discovering she can see everyone’s imaginary friends, a girl embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.
John Krasinski’s masterful A Quiet Place was horror built on the foundation of a strong, believable family dynamic. Here he skews towards a younger audience for a similar tale of a fractured family surrounded by fantastical creatures, but instead of striking terror in the hearts of viewers, with IF he has crafted a film that will fill them with joy and wonder.
Not wanting to shy away from issues that have permeated some of the best children’s movies of days-gone-by, from the off Krasinski grounds his fable in grief and loss. It’s a brave opening gambit on which to build a story of colourful characters and magical events, but you can leave the complaints to the professional cynics, because the emotion is delicately handled, and narratively it pays off in spades.
That it achieves this fine balancing act is largely down to the superb cast. You might turn up for the purple thingies, a farting gummy bear, or a glass of water voiced by Bradley Cooper, but IF‘s driving force is the performance of Cailey Fleming. Brilliant in the final few seasons of The Walking Dead, here she runs the full gamut as Bea. Carrying the dramatic moments with aplomb, and thoroughly convincing during her interactions with the imaginary creations, Fleming brings a weight to her character which makes you invest in the story, one which from the outside might seem like a gimmicky summer family-flick, but which turns out to be so much more as the movie unfolds.
Taking a back seat to her is Ryan Reynolds, who is restrained and charming as the Imaginary Friends’ human liaison. As Bea’s guide through this secret world full of manifested menagerie, he shares countless interactions with the film’s starry-voiced creations, of which Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Steve Carell’s characters leave the most indelible impressions.
Waller-Bridge’s Blossom, an anthropomorphic butterfly with a penchant for tea, goes on a character arc which culminates in one of the most beautiful scenes of the year. It’s a sequence which sums up Krasinski’s film in microcosm, one which constantly catches you off guard with moments of heart-swelling happiness.
Sharing more than a few positive similarities with Robert Zemeckis’ classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, spending time in the world of IF is also some of the most fun you’ll have this side of Toon Town. There is a bonkers tour through an Imaginary Friends retirement home which feels like an experimental night at Glastonbury, and ends with a smile-inducing song and dance number, and you’ll be hard-pressed to choose who your favourite IF is from the likes of Sam Rockwell’s ‘Guardian Dog’ or Christoper Meloni’s scene-stealing private-investigator ‘Cosmo’.
Ordinarily this kind of creative overload could result in hyperactive chaos, but held together by Michael Giacchino’s beautiful, comforting and immediately affecting score, Krasinski ensures that the focus never shifts from the relationships that join the dots between the characters, both real and imaginary, or the very human story at its core.
Another one in the win column for Krasinski the director, IF is one of the first big surprises of the year. Go for the unicorns, dragons, and A-list cameos, but stay for the big beating heart and Cailey Fleming’s star-making performance. It will leave you glowing.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ ★/ Movie ★ ★ ★ ★
Matt Rodgers – Follow me on Twitter
