Valentines Day (Warner Brothers)
The Critic Proof Movie
Only Garry Marshall could gather together some of Hollywoods brightest stars to create a movie, and keep it all relatively cheap. Of course in Hollywood terms that means bringing it in for around fifty million. He is after all the man who brought us movies such as Pretty Woman, The Princess Dairies and Beaches as well as TV series such as Happy Days. Mork and Mindy and Laverne and Shirley. When you have had that much success you can call in a few favors.
Valentines Day is a collection of stories about love that are loosely strung together through its characters. One person is friends with another person who is in love with another person who works for another person and so and so on. The stories are basically comedies with a few dramatic ones thrown in for good measure. The actors appear to be having a good time so the audience does too. That makes this film virtually critic proof.
Honestly who would turn down the chance to see Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Anne Hathaway, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Ashton Kutcher and many, many more in a feel good movie The answer is not many, and that is why this movie will be a major hit and will make the big bucks.
This film is a take-off of sorts of the movie Love Actually but without the sadder more emotional moments. It stays pretty light all the way through, even when it is dealing with heartbreak and rejection. Still there are moments that impact you more than others. Two of these occur in the last moments of the film when you are hit with two gotchas (which I honestly did not see coming).
Highlights in the film include Jennifer Garners character going crazy as she pulverizes a piata; Anne Hathaways characters kissing off to a guy using a southern dialect; Queen Latifahs character sending a warning to a phone sex caller; Julia Roberts exploding with her trademark laugh.
This is also a movie where you dont want to miss the outtakes during the credits. There are more laughs here, especially one involving Julia Roberts with a reference to one of her prior movies.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations.
Valentines Days is not a classic movie in any sense but it is a fun, easy to enjoy film that will please the couples who see it. It offers warmth, humor and a touch of drama. It is about a variety of lovelorn couples from teens to seniors. In that way it is a one size fits all film. Dont listen to any of the negative about this film. Just follow your heart and go and enjoy!
I scored Valentines Day a heartfelt 6 out of 10.
