Exhausted after a long day at Meijer Gardens, my friends Stephanie, Wylder and I settled in for a movie to rest our tired feet. Wylder was to be leaving for college soon; and, feeling sad about the many miles soon to be between us and our dear friend, Stephanie and I let him pick the film. He scrolled through On Demand, not quite sure what to pick, before an idea came to him that he quickly pursued. Typing the title ‘Playing It Cool’ into the search bar, he described to us that this romantic comedy was centered around a cynical screenwriter who tries to write a romantic comedy, and that it was one of his favorites because of the visuals. As he talked, my curiosity peaked, wondering how Wylder could find enjoyment in the visuals of a movie (which is all visuals in and of itself). Finding his title, he hit play and I sat back to indulge in one of the most surprisingly refreshing movies I had seen in a long time.

Wylder was not lying about the plot. Our cynic, referring to himself the whole movie as only Me, is played by Chris Evans. His life as a screenwriter is beginning to pick up once he is offered the chance to write a big action film, his dream job. The only catch is that he has to write a romantic comedy before that, which is hard for Me since he does not believe in love. Turning to his best friend Scott (Topher Grace) and his group of writing friends, he puts off the project in hopes of inspiration. While at a charity event with Scott, Me meets Her (Michelle Monaghan), who he immediately falls for only to find her engaged to someone else, who he refers to as Stuffy. The rest of the movie depicts the whirlwind of events which follow suit after Me and Her commit to being friends, and the changes in their relationship afterwards.

Another thing Wylder was spot on about was his talk about visuals. At first, I had no idea what he could have meant, but once the movie began it was easy to tell. For starters, Me’s heart was characterized differently than as just Me himself, given a sad, chainsmoker style making cameos throughout the movie to help reinforce the way Me was feeling. There were also cartoons to help aid the plot when backstories came into play, changes in color to help show feelings, and unique insights into Me’s writings that show a lot about his character while sometimes providing some comic relief.

This movie may just sound like another cheesy, cliche romantic comedy, and in many ways it is. Boy meets girl, girl changes boy’s perspective, boy falls for girl, chaos ensues, and at the end they end up together. Sure, this movie checks all of those boxes. But along the way, the web of lies being spun by both Me and Her added to the complications caused by Me’s crazy friends and Stuffy make for a very entertaining ride. It’s one I have watched again and again, not only for the memories of a good night with friends, but for another go at a movie you can’t get sick of. For those looking for a rom-com with a little bit more flair than the average Hollywood formula offers, Playing It Cool should go on your list of movies to watch for.