Post by BIGFANBOY on Sept 18, 2009 4:08:23 GMT -5
LOVE HAPPENS
Review by Gary Dean Murray
The romantic comedy is a staple of storytelling pretty much since the beginning of time. The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare is a perfect example that the idea has been around and used forever. The tragedy also has been around forever... just look at Romeo and Juliet as an example. But these two genre ideas have never been blended together because of their acidity to one another. Think of mixing baking soda and vinegar, all you get is a foamy mess. And a foamy mess can best describe the final product of Love Happens.
The story is of Dr. Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart). He's a PHD and an author of a book called A-Okay. It is one of those self-help tomes with ideas like 'Fear is a state of mind', 'Look at things from a new perspective' and 'Give yourself permission to move on'. Truly deep thoughts.
A-Okay is about getting over grief and moving on with your life. Three years ago Burke lost his beloved Cynthia in a car crash and he wrote the book to get over her. But he is also a guy who doesn't listen to his own advice, and he's even afraid of taking elevators. Why? I have no idea. Maybe to show he's quirky?
His manager is Lane Marshall (Dan Fogler) a guy who has hooked onto Burke's rising popularity and is just about to make the deal of the year for his client worth millions. The television syndicate people are to attend this Seattle seminar in order to propose different products and ink the deal. Burke hates Seattle.
Eloise (Jennifer Aniston) owns a flower shop that services hotels. She is one for picking the wrong man, and we first meet her when she finds that her musician boyfriend has been cheating on her. Cheating on her? Yeah, we're going to buy that one.
Her best bud is Marty (Judy Greer), a gal who has hooked onto Eloise's rising popularity. Marty and Lane are the two best friends there to lend a helping hand. Why? I have no idea. Maybe to show they're quirky?
The other two main characters are Martin Sheen as the former father-in-law. He goes up to Burke and tells him “You lie!” which builds our dramatic tension. The other character is Walter played by John Carroll Lynch. He thinks that the entire A-Okay system is a bunch of crap, which shows that he may be the smartest guy in the room. Walter lost his son in a freak accident and has been trying to cope with the loss on his own for years, but to no avail. Burke convinces him to stay. Why? I have an idea. Maybe to show no one is that quirky, and he actually wants to help people. Burke's goal is to assist a room full of people getting over death. He is noble but he also has a secret. Wow! A secret! What could it be? Maybe something with the death of his wife?
Death, death and more death. Isn't that a hallmark of a quirky romantic comedy?
Burke notices Eloise when she passes a hotel wall painting that is swaying. He looks behind it and finds an obscure word. It seems that Eloise goes around hotels and writes weird words on the walls. Why? I have no idea. Maybe to show she's quirky? Burke finds some liquid courage and approaches her. She fakes being deaf. Why? I have no idea. Maybe to show she's quirky?
Anyway, Burke finds out the truth about Eloise and basically demands a date which she reluctantly accepts. The date is a disaster because Burke has been out of the dating saddle for years. But she feels some pity for him and they begin their relationship.
All of these plot threads sloppily tie together around the release of a parrot. Yes, the release of a tropical bird in Seattle, that's a good idea. And by the time we get to the 'Show one person slow clapping into everyone slow clapping' cliché, you have realized that you've lost two hours of your life you will never get back.
With a cast like this, one would expect magic. Aaron Eckhart is a strong romantic lead and a guy who can show an edge. Here he is emasculated and weak, never a good idea for a romance. This is to be his moment of moving on, but it becomes hard to believe that he will actually do it. The emotional mountain that it builds before him is just too high to be crossed in one trek.
Jennifer Aniston has no idea how to pick scripts. It seems that every movie she's been in hasn't worked on any level. This is another example of 'What were you thinking?'. But she does a great job with the weak material and looks stunning in every scene she's in.
Our two sidekicks get the lion's share of laughs which are slim at best. But the laughs feel misplaced. It is like being kissed and kicked at the same time. Dan Fogler just delivers his words with a bright-eyed sparkle, giving much needed life to his character. I love Judy Greer as Marty, our silly assistant. She truly finds some new ground with her role and has the biggest amount of charm.
The DP of the work needs to be praised because he makes just about every scene look magical. From dull corridors to the darkened streets of this rainy town, he never delivers a shot that just doesn't jump off the screen. It is a beautiful film to look at.
Director Brandon Camp also co-wrote the screenplay, so all the blame has to rest on his shoulders. Love Happens is full of cheap manipulations and comes from a very dark place. He's making two movies that just don't belong together. It is Franken-play, with the sum of the parts becoming a monster. See it if you dare but don't expect the film that is being advertised, it is a different animal than the commercials. Why? I have no idea. Maybe to sucker in some quirky people toward losing ten bucks?
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